A lawsuit that was filed on behalf of a nonreligious family describes the ways in which, teachers at Swainsboro Primary School shamed students who said that they do not believe in God.
According to the complaint, the teachers in question regularly started their lessons with Christian prayers, a practice that violates the First Amendment of the American Constitution. As if that was not enough, when the family in question objected to the kindergarten and first grade teachers merging church and state, their children were asked to leave the classroom and sit in the hallway while the rest of the students prayed.
One of their children, Jesse, who studies in the first grade, said that the teacher used her mean voice while asking her to leave the class. She was later forced to participate in the daily prayers. Reportedly, her science teacher asked her to make a “good decision” about the unconstitutional prayers while her gym teacher also coaxed her to surrender her inhibitions and cooperate with the rest of the class. All of this climaxed when Jesse’s homeroom teacher, Kaytrene Bright, kept her from recess to educate her about the Christian God. Apparently, Bright told Jesse that her mother is a bad person for not believing in the almighty.
“Cel Thompson, a kindergarten teacher, allegedly announced to the entire kindergarten class that Jamie was not allowed to pray to God and then told Jamie to wait in the hallway while the rest of the class prayed,” the complaint stated about the family’s other child.
Jamie’s parents eventually pulled him out of school after he complained about being made to feel uncomfortable there.
Earlier this month, Freedom From Religion Foundation, which had filed the lawsuit, told the press that both parties had reached a settlement.
Under the terms of their agreement with the school district, “Teachers have received educational training on their obligations not to promote religious beliefs in their classrooms and the ... family has been financially compensated for harm they suffered.”
Photo Credits: Irish Central
