“I was just reading, just reading because I had free time. A time to do what I wanted to, so I just broke it out and read [silently]. . . . I like to read my Bible because it’s a good book.”For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:
-- Loyal Grandstaff
Florida Teacher Bans Bible in Free Time, Parents Sue
Colorado School Bans Jesus Talk During Free Time
Student Suspended for Jesus Talk Sues Washington School
California School Bans Books by Christian Authors
Also read about the latest myriad attacks on Christmas in schools around the nation.
-- From "Parents say teacher violated son’s rights by not allowing him to read Bible in class" by Monica Evans, WDAF-TV4 (Kansas City, MO) 1/5/15
Loyal Grandstaff’s parents say they’re taking a “grand stance” to stand up for their son’s freedom of religion after they say a teacher told their son he couldn’t read his Bible in school.
Loyal says he loves reading his Bible and decided to bring it to school before the Christmas break so he could read it during his free time. But the seventh grader said his teacher told him it wasn’t allowed.
“I feel like it violated his freedom of religion but also his freedom of speech,” Loyal’s dad, Justin Grandstaff, said.
Lance Tobin, the principal at Bueker Middle School in Marshall, says Bibles are not banned from school, but says he needs to look into the situation to get the details before he elaborates further.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Angry Parents Say Son Was Stopped From Reading Bible in School" by Beth Greenfield, Senior Writer, Yahoo Parenting 1/6/15 January 6, 2015
. . . Loyal seemed clear about what happened . . . [the teacher] “doesn’t want me reading it in his class because he don’t believe it.”
. . . Mark Goldfeder, Emory Law School senior lecturer and Law and Religion Students Program director, says . . . “students have an absolute legal right to read their Bibles during free time.”
That’s because a 1969 Supreme Court case established that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,” Goldfeder explains, noting, “the court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment requires public school officials to be neutral in their treatment of religion, showing neither favoritism toward nor hostility.” So while public-school officials are forbidden from directing prayer, there’s nothing stopping a student from voluntarily praying at any time — and the same holds true for reading the good book.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Newsweek Magazine Attacks Bible & Christians to Make Money
And read President Obama's Christmas: Behold, a Message is Born
