Re: Bullying of Christian Students in Public Schools

[Ed Brayton]

Rick Duncan wrote: Did someone mention bullying of students in the government schools. Here is a case of real bullying taking place in the Tolerant State (from a press release of the Pacific Justice Institute): I agree with you, these students have had their rights violated. I've written about this case and others that happened around the Day of Silence and supported those kids who wore shirts like this. But that has nothing to do with your argument in the prayer situation. Are you seriously going to say "well christians were bullied in california by the school, so it's okay for them to bully someone else in Kentucky"? The two situations have nothing to do with each other. Ed Brayton 05.23.2006 Students Plead With School Boards for Safe Schools and Free Speech Sacramento, CA—Students and their parents packed out a school board meeting at the Roseville Joint Unified School District in response to the suspensions received for peacefully expressing their religious beliefs. Numerous students of Slavic descent passed out Christian literature and wore t-shirts that read, “Homosexuality is sin. Jesus can set you free.” (For further details, see PJI press release – May 2, 2006.) In addition to asking for their rights to speech and the free exercise of religion, these students and their parents asked the board to fulfill its obligations to protect students from threats, violence and other forms of harassment. Viktor Lavor, a junior, told the board that Slavic Christian students, while leafleting, were threatened by hostile peers that they would get “beat up” after school. Another pupil described how they went into the cafeteria wearing their shirts. “While sitting in the cafeteria at breakfast, we had things like bottles, pieces of food and other objects thrown at us,” said Lyana Tagintsev. “I felt unprotected,” she said. Taginstev told the board that “the school is suppose to protect us like any other students, but I didn’t see them try to do anything.” Later that day, Lavor and Taginstev, along with 10 other students were summoned to the office by school officials. “We were given two options: either to take off the shirts and go back to class or keep the shirts on and face two days suspension. After praying, our group chose to keep the shirts on and stand up for what we knew was the truth. If we would take off our shirts we would be cowards,” Lavor said. Nadia Militan, who did not wear the shirt that day saw the other students in the school office who were suspended. Originally from the Ukraine, she told the board that “this kind of speech suppression makes me wonder if American schools follow the US Constitution.” “Later I asked one of my friends if they had any more shirts. They did and I put it on in front of the office administration. They suspended me as well,” Militan told an attentive board. In nearby San Juan Unified School District, parents and students intend to address that school board about similar hostility and suppression of speech targeting Slavic Christians. Students leafleted and wore the same t-shirts as their friends in Roseville. “My review of the evidence so far indicates that the threats and actual violence against the students at San Juan is as bad if not worse than what is happening at Roseville,” said Kevin Snider who is the PJI attorney representing the students from both districts. “These students are pleading with the school boards to respect the rights of speech and to provide safe schools,” stated Brad Dacus, PJI president. “We are hopeful that the elected officials for these two districts will send a clear message on the rights of students to peacefully express themselves without fear of violence.” The Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. P.O. Box 276600 Sacramento, CA 95827-6600 Phone: (916) 857-6900 Fax (916) 857-6902 Internet: www.pacificjustice.org Rick Duncan Welpton Professor of Law University of Nebraska College of Law Lincoln, NE 68583-0902   "It's a funny thing about us human beings: not many of us doubt God's existence and then start sinning. Most of us sin and then start doubting His existence."  --J. Budziszewski (The Revenge of Conscience)   "Once again the ancient maxim is vindicated, that the perversion of the best is the worst." -- Id. Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates. _______________________________________________ To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. 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