Indiana public school punishes 7-year-old with ‘banishment’ for not believing in God

www.rawstory.com...

A lawsuit recently filed against a teacher at Forest Park Elementary School in Indiana alleged that a 7-year-old student was “banished” from sitting with other students at lunch after he revealed that he did not believe in God.

According to the lawsuit obtained by The Washington Post, second grade teacher Michelle Myer interrogated the student, who was identified with the initials A.B., about his religious beliefs after he told his classmates on the playground that he did not go to church because he did not believe in God.

As a result, the child was ordered to sit by himself during lunch for a three-day period.

What a fantastic way to show that kid his place. Little heretic needed to be taught a lesson.

“On the day of the incident and for an additional two days thereafter, Ms. Meyer required that A.B. sit by himself during lunch and told him he should not talk to the other students and stated that this was because he had offended them. This served to reinforce A.B.’s feeling that he had committed some transgression that justified his exclusion.”

We need more teachers like this to enforce the Word of God, It's a good thing Ms. Meyer was able to nip this in the bud before AB infected his classmates with his heresy.

[/sarcasm]

a reply to: olaru12

This teacher needs to be fired immediately. Punishing a child for having different religious beliefs than you (or even most of the class) is literally a textbook 1st Amendment violation. ESPECIALLY in a public school. Luckily it doesn't seem like this is one of those insane school districts that is going to side with the teacher no matter WHAT the circumstances are:

In a statement, the school district suggested that the teacher had been wrong to single out the child.

“It is clear that it is not the province of a public school to advance or inhibit religious beliefs or practices. Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, this remains the inviolate province of the individual and the church of his/her choice,” the district declared. “The rights of any minority, no matter how small, must be protected.”

a reply to: olaru12

I would raise all manner of havoc at the school if that was my kid being treated like that.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: olaru12

This teacher needs to be fired immediately. Punishing a child for having different religious beliefs than you (or even most of the class) is literally a textbook 1st Amendment violation. ESPECIALLY in a public school. Luckily it doesn't seem like this is one of those insane school districts that is going to side with the teacher no matter WHAT the circumstances are:

In a statement, the school district suggested that the teacher had been wrong to single out the child.

“It is clear that it is not the province of a public school to advance or inhibit religious beliefs or practices. Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, this remains the inviolate province of the individual and the church of his/her choice,” the district declared. “The rights of any minority, no matter how small, must be protected.”

Would you feel the same if the child were passing out slips of paper with Bible verses? After all, some sects feel they must proselytize as part of their beliefs.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: olaru12

This teacher needs to be fired immediately. Punishing a child for having different religious beliefs than you (or even most of the class) is literally a textbook 1st Amendment violation. ESPECIALLY in a public school. Luckily it doesn't seem like this is one of those insane school districts that is going to side with the teacher no matter WHAT the circumstances are:

In a statement, the school district suggested that the teacher had been wrong to single out the child.

“It is clear that it is not the province of a public school to advance or inhibit religious beliefs or practices. Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, this remains the inviolate province of the individual and the church of his/her choice,” the district declared. “The rights of any minority, no matter how small, must be protected.”

Would you feel the same if the child were passing out slips of paper with Bible verses? After all, some sects feel they must proselytize as part of their beliefs.

How would I fire a child from school? Plus a student isn't an employee of the state required to keep state and religion separate. So this comparison is irrelevant regardless of how I would feel about it.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: olaru12

This teacher needs to be fired immediately. Punishing a child for having different religious beliefs than you (or even most of the class) is literally a textbook 1st Amendment violation. ESPECIALLY in a public school. Luckily it doesn't seem like this is one of those insane school districts that is going to side with the teacher no matter WHAT the circumstances are:

In a statement, the school district suggested that the teacher had been wrong to single out the child.

“It is clear that it is not the province of a public school to advance or inhibit religious beliefs or practices. Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, this remains the inviolate province of the individual and the church of his/her choice,” the district declared. “The rights of any minority, no matter how small, must be protected.”

Would you feel the same if the child were passing out slips of paper with Bible verses? After all, some sects feel they must proselytize as part of their beliefs.

Kids witness for the Lord in Public School all the time. It's called freedom of speech....

Embarrassing a kid in front of classmates is a completely different situation.

How is it that Christians have forgotten to implement "What would Jesus do" in there dealings with there fellow men?

a reply to: Krazysh0t
I agree. She should be terminated. Not just for what she did to the student, but also for trying to imprint the other kids with, "This is what happens if you start believing like little A.B. here." A despicable woman.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: olaru12

This teacher needs to be fired immediately. Punishing a child for having different religious beliefs than you (or even most of the class) is literally a textbook 1st Amendment violation. ESPECIALLY in a public school. Luckily it doesn't seem like this is one of those insane school districts that is going to side with the teacher no matter WHAT the circumstances are:

In a statement, the school district suggested that the teacher had been wrong to single out the child.

“It is clear that it is not the province of a public school to advance or inhibit religious beliefs or practices. Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, this remains the inviolate province of the individual and the church of his/her choice,” the district declared. “The rights of any minority, no matter how small, must be protected.”

Would you feel the same if the child were passing out slips of paper with Bible verses? After all, some sects feel they must proselytize as part of their beliefs.

How is that the equivalent? If you want an equivalent, it would be the teacher punishing a child for believing in god. And, yes, we would be just as upset and the teacher should be fired in that case too.

Yay for freedom of thought and belief!

nothing like shaming someone for being ""Different"""

# god!

a reply to: highfromphoenix

#WWJD

The school did not punish the kid, a nut job teacher did this.
The article also says the teacher is being sued but does not mention the school or school district.

11. The classmate said that A.B. had hurt her feelings by saying that he did not believe in
God and started to cry.

Yeah right. I wonder what he REALLY said. If it was anything like some of the horrible comments I've read here then I could understand why the girl would start crying.

The teacher probably did the right thing.

a reply to: olaru12

But all is good now, because after his three-day banishment, he rose again.

At least she didn't make him wander the desert and confront the devil.

a reply to: Bone75

Wow, unwarranted and biased conjecture, much?

originally posted by: Bone75

11. The classmate said that A.B. had hurt her feelings by saying that he did not believe in
God and started to cry.

Yeah right. I wonder what he REALLY said. If it was anything like some of the horrible comments I've read here then I could understand why the girl would start crying.

The teacher probably did the right thing.

It doesn't matter what he really said. Being forced to sit by yourself for not believing in god for three days straight is against the Constitution.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Bone75

Wow, unwarranted and biased conjecture, much?

Says the guy with one side of the story who just seized the opportunity to ridicule Christian beliefs? Gee I wonder what would give me that idea.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: Bone75

11. The classmate said that A.B. had hurt her feelings by saying that he did not believe in
God and started to cry.

Yeah right. I wonder what he REALLY said. If it was anything like some of the horrible comments I've read here then I could understand why the girl would start crying.

The teacher probably did the right thing.

It doesn't matter what he really said. Being forced to sit by yourself for not believing in god for three days straight is against the Constitution.

So is being punished without a fair trial. This woman is accused of violating a kids rights.
She has not been convicted of anything.

originally posted by: Bluntone22

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: Bone75

11. The classmate said that A.B. had hurt her feelings by saying that he did not believe in
God and started to cry.

Yeah right. I wonder what he REALLY said. If it was anything like some of the horrible comments I've read here then I could understand why the girl would start crying.

The teacher probably did the right thing.

It doesn't matter what he really said. Being forced to sit by yourself for not believing in god for three days straight is against the Constitution.

So is being punished without a fair trial. This woman is accused of violating a kids rights.
She has not been convicted of anything.

She's not on trial; she's being sued. So I'm not sure what you are talking about here.

originally posted by: Bone75

11. The classmate said that A.B. had hurt her feelings by saying that he did not believe in
God and started to cry.

Yeah right. I wonder what he REALLY said. If it was anything like some of the horrible comments I've read here then I could understand why the girl would start crying.

The teacher probably did the right thing.

If the student said something that was truly out of line, the teacher wouldn't have hesitated to bring that up, I'm sure. There is no reason at this point to assume he did anything other than tell her what has already been quoted.