California Court of Appeal

Plaintiff brought suit against defendant School District, alleging that the District's implementation of an Ashtanga yoga program as a component of its physical education curriculum violated the religious Establishment Clause of the California Constitution. The trial court entered judgment in favor of defendants, concluding that the yoga program does not violate the California Constitution. The judgment is affirmed, where: 1) while the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes as taught in the District are secular in purpose and devoid of any religious, mystical, or spiritual trappings; 2) the yoga program does not have the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion; and 3) the yoga program does not excessively entangle the District in religion.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/03/2015
• Published 04/03/2015

Judges

• Aaron

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel