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Posted on 01/06/2014 1:09:57 PM PST by BenLurkin
WEST COVINA (CBSLA.com) — Religious freedom advocates are calling on the West Covina Unified School District to adopt policy changes and issue a formal apology after an alleged incident involving bullying against a Christian student.
Advocates for Faith & Freedom, an Irvine-based nonprofit law firm, issued a letter Monday on behalf of Isaiah Martinez, a first grader at Merced Elementary School who took traditional candy canes as Christmas gifts for his teacher, Valerie Lu, and classmates on Dec. 13, 2013, according to attorney Robert Tyler.
Each candy cane came with a message attached that recited the history of the candy cane, including references to the candy as a symbol of Jesus Christ, according to the letter (PDF) dated Jan. 6.
Attorneys say when Martinez brought the candy canes to class, Lu took possession of the candy canes, and after conferring with school principal Gordon Pfitzer, told Martinez that “Jesus is not allowed in school”.
Lu – at the apparent direction of Pfitzer – then ripped the candy cane message from each candy cane, threw the messages in the trash, and returned the candy canes back to Martinez for delivery to his classmates, according to attorneys.
In a statement, Tyler said the actions of the school district were “hostile and intimidating”, and called on officials to adopt an official policy that expressly prohibits school officials – including teachers – from “adopting any action or from engaging in any expression that can reasonably be viewed by a religiously affiliated student as disapproval of the student’s religion or hostile toward the student’s religion.”
“Advocates for Faith & Freedom has experienced a surge in phone calls from students and their parents across the country who are victims of religiously motivated bullying; not bullying by other students, but bullying by teachers and school officials,” said Tyler. “The pendulum has swung so far in the opposite direction that public schools are becoming a place of hostility toward Christian and other religiously-based worldviews.”
In addition to policy changes, Tyler also called for the West Covina Unified School District to implement training for teachers and other school officials on the First Amendment, “particularly as it relates to the rights of students to express themselves with religious viewpoints”.
There was no immediate reaction to the letter from school district officials.
A statement on the school district’s website (PDF) states school “programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, including harassment, with respect to a student’s actual or perceived sex, ethnic group identification, race, national origin, religion” and other characteristics.
What is it about Jesus that makes so many otherwise stable left-wing radicals become so unhinged?
“If the kid had brought in Korans, the teachers & staff would have lined up every student to receive one.....”
...or a condom
I saw a movie “Last Ounce of Courage” about being able to freely celebrate Christmas in the public square. I loved it. The liberals are hitting any board, like IMDB and Amazon, sneering at the movie.
I’m sure the teacher had no problem having two weeks off for Christmas vacation,though!
If physical force was used unnecessarily to "rip off messages" then throw them in the trash, it could be a sign of some mental disturbance within that woman.
Just my opinion.
The anti-Jesus Nazis never rest.
Percieved sex is the new law in CA. Students may use restrooms, enter gym classes, and apply for anything else they desire based upon where the stuent feel the most comfortable.
Sooo, a male student can claim, without any evidence, that they are actual a female trapped in a males body; and oh by the way they are attracked to other females so they are actually a lesbian.
So we been keepin’ Jesus out of schools for a few decades now hows that working for is ..is violence down?
bullying down? shcool shootings down? respect for authority up? hello?
Maybe its time to try something differnt this surely is NOT WORKING
freegards
LEX
Lu – at the apparent direction of Pfitzer – then ripped the candy cane message from each candy cane, threw the messages in the trash, and returned the candy canes back to Martinez for delivery to his classmates, according to attorneys.
Unmentioned is what the message was (possibly a Gospel quote?), which was attached to the canes.
Evil doesn’t like being challenged.
Please ping me with any Southern California related articles. Thank you!
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Nice choice of words.
Wouldn’t “diversity” and “tolerance” dictate that the child be able to distribute the candy canes as originally packaged, then the teacher offer the opportunity for others of different beliefs to offer their views? I mean diversity is about sharing, not censorship, right? Isn’t that what we were told?
I stand by my habit of just reading the headlines....
Thanks BenLurkin.
I bet this school wouldnt have had any issue had this kid brought Koran’s for all the students..Unfortunately my state is already too far gone to be saved..Reagan loved California but if he were alive today he wouldnt recognize it
...nor prohibit the free expression thereof
This is the second most “Liberals leave off the ending” quote.
#1 is after Jesus saves the woman from the stone throwers:
“go and sin no more”
Merced Elementary
website | map | bus schedule
GORDON PFITZER, Principal
1545 E Merced Avenue, West Covina, CA 91790
Tel: 626-931-1700 | Fax: 626-931-1704
If anyone did that to my granddaughter, I’d be in jail just now.
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