U.S DISTRICT COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF GENOCIDE CURRICULUM IN MASSACHUSETTS

200 9/06/11 | 15:37

Region

The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) reports that U.S. District
Court Chief Judge Mark Wolf today ruled in favor of the Massachusetts
Department of Education, allowing it to continue teaching the
facts of the Armenian Genocide, and other crimes against humanity,
in public schools across the state as constitutionally protected
government speech.

"The Armenian Assembly appreciates the court’s ruling in this
matter. It sends a clear message to Turkey and its revisionist allies
that history cannot be rewritten to further Ankara’s state-sponsored
denial campaign," said AAA Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair
Hovnanian. Carolyn Mugar, the Board’s President, added, "Given
the overwhelming historical and legal evidence documenting the
incontestable fact of the Armenian Genocide, this ruling is a victory
for all those concerned about genocide education and prevention."

The court’s ruling preserves the teaching of accurate history,
which is part of the official "Massachusetts Guide to Choosing and
Using Curricular Materials on Genocide and Human Rights," prepared in
1999. In 2005, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA),
along with others, filed the suit against the Department of Education
arguing that the Commonwealth violated the plaintiffs’ First Amendment
rights by removing materials from the curriculum that deny the events
of 1915.

In an unprecedented move, the plaintiffs attempted to use the federal
courts to argue a tired and discredited practice that the "other side"
of the story should be taught.

"In light of the fact that Turkey criminalizes honest discussion
of the Armenian Genocide, it is especially ironic that Turkish
denialists turned to U.S. courts in an attempt to twist freedom of
speech in America," stated Assembly Board of Trustees Counselor Van
Krikorian. "Even though the court viewed this case ‘in the light
most favorable to plaintiffs,’ it still ruled in favor of truth,
history and the U.S. Constitution. The sooner Turkey comes to terms
with its past, the better it will be for everyone."