I remember the beginnings of this story, back a few weeks ago now. A student named Matthew LaClair was sitting in history class at Kearney High School in New Jersey when his teacher, David Paszkiewicz, began saying crazy things. Crazy things like "There were dinosaurs on Noah's Ark" and that if they don't follow Jesus as their savior they "belong in hell." This is in addition to statements like "There is no scientific basis for the big bang."
Mr. LaClair was understandably quite upset to hear things like this coming from a history teacher, a history teacher in a secular, publicly-funded school. If Christian schools want to teach their children drivel like this and hate those who disagree with them, fine. But in a public institution, there is no place for this sort of thing. Expression of religion is one thing. If Mr. LaClair had approached Mr. Paszkiewicz and asked him what he thought of dinosaurs, Noah's Ark, or religion, then Mr. Paszkiewicz would have been well within his rights to assert his views.
However, Mr. LaClair did not approach Mr. Paszkiewicz. Mr. Paszkiewicz was preaching his viewpoints to the class, using his position of authority and trust to try and convert students to his way of life. This is a clear breach of the separation of church and state: clearly, an employee of the state was trying to establish his religion as the only acceptable one within the limits of his position.
Instead of reacting as they should have, by censuring or firing Mr. Paszkiewicz, the school board did...nothing! Nothing happened. Then things got worse. Students began harrassing Matthew LaClair. He has been hassled, harrassed, called names, and treated unfairly.
Now, the LaClair family wants to sue the school board, and ACLU is getting on board. What do you think? I think that Mr. Paszkiewicz deserves to be fired and that the school board owes the LaClairs an apology. This is a secular nation, but one which prizes the freedom of AND the freedom from religion. People may believe whatever they want to, but they may not coerce others to do so, especially if they are going to use state-sponsored authority to do so.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/nyregion/20teacher.html?em&ex=1172120400&en=0afd762a63c565b3&ei=5087%0A
You probably wouldn't have a problem with that. Generally speaking (at least in my experience and even statistically) it is liberal teachers that preach their individual values.
I would agree that the teacher misused his position of trust, although I do not think it should be illegal for teachers to expound on their moral or political views, if they encourage debate within their class.
Where in the constitution does it say that church and state are seperate?
This is not a secular nation. In fact, to say it is is pure idiocy. And freedom of religion is not freedom from religion.
"We are endowed by our creator...." So the very basis of our republic is God.
"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil."-C.S. Lewis
Then I would most definitely have a problem with it. And I am an atheist.
If the teacher lied to cover it up, then he should be fired.
However, from previous conversations with you, I think you see someone who doesn't mention God as someone who is preaching atheism. THAT is not a problem; in fact, it is what is supposed to be done.
While the phrase "separation of church and state" may not be in the constitution the concept sure is. Government is to make NO LAW respecting religion, either restricting it OR PROMOTING IT. NO RELIGIOUS OATH is to be required to hold office. It doesn't take too much of a conceptual leap ... unless you are one of those faithheads that thinks if one doesn't go out of their way to accommodate your particular belief then you are being unfair to them ... to see that is separation of church and state.
It is an incredibly stupid thing to say "freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion". It's OK to be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist (so long as you believe in one or more Gods), Zorastrian, Shinto, Pagan, but NOT atheism?
As for God being the very foundation of our republic. While the founding fathers certainly believed there was a creator, in no way is our Constitution based on religion. You do not find the Bill of Rights in the bible. You do not find any of the amendments to be biblically inspired. The inspiration for these came from the problems we faced as a secular society.
We are a secular government, and that is what has prevented us from going the way of the Taliban. There has never been a theocracy of any type that has been a government that has fostered the type of rights and freedoms we have here. And I don't think there ever will be.
Regards,
Darwin's Beagle
The teacher, Paszkiewicz, lied to his superiors in Matthew LeClair's presence to cover up his (the teacher's) proselytizing. This fact would seem to confirm Matthew's decision to tape him doing it, but one of the school board's "changes" is to newly put in a rule that says teachers may not be taped.
This teacher now claims that he should be allowed to point to the Muslim girl in History class and say "Yes, she will go to hell" - but at the time, he lied to his principal. That alone should have gotten him fired. Furthermore, past students have now spoken up about how the teacher broke the same law in their classes.
Interesting to watch as fellow students shun, harass and threaten Matthew as the whistleblower. Paszkiewicz breaks the law, lies to his superior while intending to discredit the student, but it is Matthew LeClair's fellow students who punish Matthew. In some ways, the school board is also punishing Matthew by its silence, and by not instructing school officials on the ground to minimally monitor the harassers and/or support the student for bringing a liar and lawbreaker to their attention.
benspye@comcast.net
LaClair's father wrote 4 letters to the school board but, Paszkiewicz denied making those statements. So nothing was done. It wasn't until LaClair brought tape recordings of Paszkiewicz that the allegations were taken seriously. It was apparent that Paszkiewicz had lied to cover it up.
So what did the school board do about it? They banned tape recorders in class.
I guess it is OK to lie to cover up illegal activity so long as you do it for Jesus.
Regards,
Darwin's Beagle
The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
This was created so that people in our country would be free to practice whatever religion they wish, without worrying that their state government will enforce a statewide religion.
Colonies were created in America because pilgrims wanted to escape religious persecution.
In the 1980's there was a very similar case in Mobile Alabama with the Jaffree family...
There should be no one specific religion preached in a public classroom... especially when students are forced by law to go to school and their parents have to pay taxes for it!
Thanks for your post, I enjoyed it.