A San Diego rights organization along with three parents are suing the California Department of Education for allegedly teaching and promoting an Aztec prayer in its model ethnic studies curriculum.
The Californians for Equal Rights Foundation argues that the state is violating the Establishment Clause of the constitution, which prohibits government entities, such as public schools, from supporting religion.
The complaint centers on a chant taught in the curriculum which invokes the names of Aztec deities, as part of the ancient culture's "In Lak Ech" affirmation.
Prosecutors claimed that the affirmation constitutes prayer because it "addresses the deities both by name and by their traditional titles, recognizes them as sources of power and knowledge, invokes their assistance, and gives thanks to them," according to a letter lawyers wrote to the state superintendent last month.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the chant uses the deities to represent the concepts of self-reflection, knowledge, action and transformation.
The paper noted that some ethnic studies instructors said they use the chant as a greeting, to remind students to show love and respect to one another, one of the goals of the curriculum.
The lawsuit, which was formally filed on September 3, asked that the chant is withdrawn from the program.
"Californians have the right to expect that tax-supported public schools will not aid or promote this religion," lawyers said.
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