INFORMATIONAL / PRESS RELEASE

February 18, 2001

MCC STUDENT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST

ON BASIS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

“Monroe Community College is a unit of the State University of New York. It is the policy of the University and of this College not to discriminate on the basis of . . religion . . in . . treatment of students . . in any educational program or activity.” — MCC Catalog

“SUNY . . does not discriminate against . . students . . on the basis of . . religion . .” — SUNY Catalog

“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting free exercise thereof . . .” — First Amendment, US Constitution

Ms. Trulie Nobis is a student in a Human Anatomy course at Monroe Community College, Rochester, NY. She is taking this course because it is a prerequisite to becoming a dietician. She is being discriminated against on the basis of her religious beliefs.

At MCC, students dissect cats, cow eyes, sheep brains and lungs, and sheep or pig hearts and kidneys to learn human anatomy.

Ms. Nobis’s religious beliefs concerning the sanctity of life do not permit her to participate in these dissections, neither directly nor indirectly. Her deep and sincere reverence for life does not allow her to be involved in the needless killing of animals for educational purposes.

This killing is needless: there are many, many alternatives to animal dissection. Undoubtedly the best way to learn human anatomy is, of course, with human cadavers, which MCC owns two. There also are computer-models, CD-ROMS, dissection web sites, videos, and anatomical models, atlases and charts. These alternatives have been rigorously examined in the best science education journals and have been found to be as educationally effective, if not better, than traditional animal dissection (these alternatives are less expensive, as well). These alternatives are used in many of the best medical schools, veterinary schools, and colleges and universities in the US, including NY State. There is no doubt that there are viable alternatives to animal dissection. Surprisingly, Ms. Nobis’s human anatomy instructor at MCC agrees.

Ms. Nobis has formally petitioned MCC’s Biology Department and the Dean of the Science, Health, and Business divisions to ask that they respect her religious beliefs and allow her to learn human anatomy from computer-based alternatives or human cadavers. She provided computer-based alternatives to MCC with her request. The biology department chair told Ms. Nobis to get a new career goal if she will not dissect. Both the Dean and the Biology Chair have rejected Ms. Nobis’s requests for alternatives, claiming that there are no alternatives to animal dissection and that MCC is not required to accommodate students’ religious beliefs with respect to this issue. The Dean has said that MCC needs an “explicit policy” to “forestall grievances such as this.” Since the Dean has said that she finds dissection alternatives unacceptable, she thinks that MCC needs an explicit policy that would deny all students the option of alternatives.

NY State’s “Humane Education” law (S 809.4) requires alternatives to dissection for conscientious objectors in grades K-12. This shows that the state recognizes the legitimacy of students’ religious beliefs regarding dissection and their rights to alternative ways to learning. Other states and courts have also recognized these rights, including for medical and veterinary students. The Supreme Court has ruled that even if a person’s belief about the sanctity of life are not theistic-based or of a non-traditional religion, he or she still qualifies as a conscientious objector and that his or her rights are protected under the First Amendment. MCC is thus violating its own policies on religious discrimination, as well violating as SUNY’s, NY State’s, and the US Constitution’s.

MCC’s has tried to defend itself by noting that the course description for Human Anatomy states that there is animal and organ dissection in the course. But if requiring conscientious objectors to dissect is a violation of their legal rights and contrary to stated laws and policies, then this course description is simply a veiled statement that “No one with religious objections to dissection is allowed in this course.” This is obviously discriminatory: the legal rights of Monroe County’s Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, whose religious views include a strict reverence for life, as well as those who hold consistently “pro-life” views (as some Christians and Jews do), apparently are not respected at their local, publicly-funded community college.

MCC has also tried to defend itself by arguing that academic accreditation organizations and state licensures require animal dissection, especially for students in the nursing, dental, radiology, and physical education programs at MCC who are required to take Human Anatomy. But there are no such dissection requirements, according to the NY State Department of Education (and MCC’s nursing program knows nothing of such requirements either). While a student must learn human anatomy to become a licensed RN or dental hygienist in NY State, there is no requirement that he or she dissect animals. Unlike MCC, the NY State Department of Education clearly recognizes that there are other ways to learn human anatomy besides animal dissection. They recognize that other NY colleges, including SUNY colleges, are obligated to respect students’ religious rights and allow alternatives.

Thus, there are no compelling reasons for MCC to require dissection for anyone, health-professions and science students included. Many experts in science and medical education argue that, in fact, animal dissection is contrary to scientific literacy. David Wiebers, M.D., holds that “killing and dissecting animals is not only unnecessary but counterproductive in the training of physicians and scientists.” Many other doctors, veterinarians, scientists, and biology teachers hold the same view. Other experts suspect that dissection requirements discourage women and girls from entering the sciences and science-based careers, since most students who object to dissection are female. Ms. Nobis was discouraged from pursuing the sciences by the biology chair because of her objections to dissection. It is likely that many other students, especially women and girls, have been discouraged as well, at MCC and elsewhere.

The law clearly supports a student’s right to his or her religious beliefs and the right not to be forced to engage in activities, like dissection, that conflict with those beliefs. It is clear that animal dissection is not required to learn human anatomy. It is also clear that there are readily available alternative learning tools that MCC could easily and quickly implement in teaching Human Anatomy. It should be very easy for them to accommodate Ms. Nobis’s religious views, as well as other students’ views like hers. Surprisingly, MCC seems to be having difficulties.

If you wish to help Ms. Nobis convince MCC that they are wrongfully and illegally discriminating against her on the basis of her religious beliefs, please contact MCC’s President and Vice-Presidents. Let them know that as a resident of Monroe County, NY State, and the US, you will not tolerate religious discrimination.

Mr. Thomas Flynn	President	716-292-2100, tflynn@monroecc.edu
Ms. Vicky Smith (*resigned; moving to new job soon, but current director of grievance proceedure)	Vice President, Academic Services	716-292-2191, vicky.smith@monroecc.edu
Ms. Susan Salvador	Vice President, Student Services	716- 292-2121, ssalvador@monroecc.edu
Mr. Jeffrey Bartkovich	Vice President, Educational Technology Services	716- 292-3018, jbartkovich@monroecc.edu
Mr. Chester Grzekek	Vice President, Administrative Services	716-292-2186, cgrzelak@monroecc.edu

Organizational Chart and Email/Phone for MCC: http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/mccadmin/

Monroe Community College

1000 East Henrietta Road

Rochester, NY 14623

716-292-2200

www.monroecc.edu

For more information and to sign a petition, please email mccdissection@hotmail.com.

This document is available online at

http://mail.rochester.edu/~nobs/dissection/