PLANS

Suit Aims to Stop Taxpayer Funding of California’s Waldorf Schools

People for Legal and Non-Sectarian Schools (PLANS) is pursuing a federal court suit intended to stop local school districts from franchising Waldorf-inspired charter schools. The suit (shown below) was filed in 1998 against the Sacramento City Unified School District, which operates a “Waldorf Methods” magnet school, and the Twin Ridges Elementary School District, which had established six “Waldorf-inspired” charter schools, all located in other school districts. Waldorf schools are based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), who established the religion of Anthroposophy. The suit charges that their “primary purpose and primary effect” is to advance religion. In 2001, the District Court ruled that PLANS lacked standing to sue, but in 2003, the Court of Appeals disagreed. In 2005, the District Court dismissed the case …