IRVINE – High school history teacher James Corbett, found to have violated a student's First Amendment rights last year by disparaging Christianity in class, on Saturday urged "intellectuals of all political persuasions" to push back against the "right-wing authoritarianism" that is eroding mutual tolerance and democracy in America.

Speaking at a convention in Irvine hosted by the Orange County chapter of the high IQ society Mensa, Corbett railed against what he described as anti-intellectual conservatives who rely on "submission" and "cherished cultural myths" to maintain power and influence.