Student, 16, Finds Allies in His Fight Over Religion

[lumbingmi]

NEWARK, Feb. 19 — A Kearny High School junior on Monday drew some legal heavyweights into his battle with school officials over a teacher’s proselytizing in class.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the People for the American Way Foundation and a partner from a large Manhattan law firm stood beside the student, Matthew LaClair, as he and his family threatened to sue the Kearny Board of Education if their complaints are not resolved. Last fall, Matthew, 16, taped the teacher, David Paszkiewicz, telling students in a history class that if they do not believe that Jesus died for their sins, they “belong in hell.”

On the recordings, which Matthew made surreptitiously starting in September, Mr. Paszkiewicz is heard telling the class that there were dinosaurs aboard Noah’s ark and that there is no scientific basis for evolution or the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe.

Since Matthew turned over the tapes to school officials, his family and supporters said, he has been the target of harassment and a death threat from fellow students and “retaliation” by school officials who have treated him, not the teacher, as the problem. The retaliation, they say, includes the district’s policy banning students from recording what is said in class without a teacher’s permission and officials’ refusal to punish students who have harassed Matthew.

Matthew and his parents, Paul and Debra LaClair, are demanding an apology to Matthew and public correction of some of Mr. Paszkiewicz’s statements in class.

The LaClairs filed a torts claim notice on Feb. 13 against the school board, Mr. Paszkiewicz and other school officials. Such a claim is required before a lawsuit can be filed in New Jersey. “The school created a climate in which the students in the school community held resentment for Matthew,” said Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the A.C.L.U. in New Jersey. She said Kearny High School had “violated the spirit and the letter of freedom of religion and the First Amendment.”

Ms. Jacobs added that the A.C.L.U. would support the LaClairs if they sue the school board and might join the action.

Richard Mancino, a partner with Willkie Farr & Gallagher, which is representing the family, said he did not understand why school officials would not “stand up for this student, who had the guts to raise this constitutional issue.” Instead, Mr. Mancino said, they appear “to have adopted a shoot-the-messenger policy.”

Angelo J. Genova, a lawyer in Livingston, N.J., who is representing the school board, said Kearny school officials had addressed Matthew’s complaints and had reaffirmed their commitment to the separation of church and state in the classroom.

Bernadette McDonald, president of the school board, said in a statement: “We took his concerns very seriously. The result was that we have received no further complaints about such religious proselytization in our schools.”

Mr. Genova said the school board had hired Edwin H. Stier, who was director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice from 1977 to 1982, to independently investigate Matthew’s harassment allegations.

For his part, Matthew said he recognized that “there are going to be a lot of consequences” at school from the Monday news conference. He said he had already felt hostility from students after the school switched his history class from Mr. Paszkiewicz to another teacher.

The district would not disclose what action it had taken against Mr. Paszkiewicz, who is teaching the same course to a different group of students. He has taught in the district for 14 years.

The New York Times > Log In

 

[lumbingmi]

On the recordings, which Matthew made surreptitiously starting in September, Mr. Paszkiewicz is heard telling the class that there were dinosaurs aboard Noah’s ark and that there is no scientific basis for evolution or the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe.

Dinosaurs were on Ark ??!!! LOL Wow. :thumbd:

He must forgot that DINOSAURS walked on the earth millions years before humans appeared.

Teacher's idiotic and should be put on the street with a sign , "END IS COMING!!"

That boy make me proud of him.

 

[Dark-Half]

Kid did the right thing. Teachers a nutter. It must of been a religious foundationed town where 99% of the people were highly religious.

 

[christlovedeaf]

Well, I do have a problem, it's sounds like people can teach anything they want to, if someone mentioned about God, then there is a complaint. To me, it's ridiculous. Just like my daughter, her science teacher doesn't believe in God and and teaches kids that there is no such thing. But my daughter spoke out and say what make you think there is no God as much we ourselves believe in God? The teacher said, bec, there isn't any. My daughter said, you couldn't answer it. I stick what I believe, the teacher said, so be it, but you going to answer what I taught in class and answer accurately. My daughter got wrong answer on her test by the question with multiple choices, how universe was created and there is God in there, and she chose that answer, and her answer is wrong. So, there is no different about this issue, not just christians, so does none christians. There will be always controversial issues in this, in both ways.

 

[deafdyke]

if someone mentioned about God, then there is a complaint.

Well the thing is...........teachers in public schools need to be NEUTRAL towards religion and mentions about God and stuff like that.
I mean how would Christians react if a teacher of another religion tried to promote their beliefs in class?
Exactly.........the best policy is NEATURALITY so that nobody feels left out or gets caught up in arguments about what to believe. If the teacher wants to prolethsize, then let him teach at a Christian school!

 

[VamPyroX]

Dinosaurs were on Ark ??!!! LOL Wow. :thumbd:

He must forgot that DINOSAURS walked on the earth millions years before humans appeared.

Teacher's idiotic and should be put on the street with a sign , "END IS COMING!!"

That boy make me proud of him.

Yeah! Therefore, what we read in the Bible is mumbo jumbo!

 

[Liebling:-)))]

Dinosaurs were on Ark ??!!! LOL Wow. :thumbd:

He must forgot that DINOSAURS walked on the earth millions years before humans appeared.

Teacher's idiotic and should be put on the street with a sign , "END IS COMING!!"

That boy make me proud of him.

This thread, I created about dinosaurs at almost 2 years ago. I was a bible belief until I learn a lot from this forum here and realized that it´s really reglion author who wrotes different bibles...

http://www.alldeaf.com/christianity...7224-what-does-bible-say-about-dinosaurs.html

That´s why I doubt more and more about bibles... Oh Well...

 

[Maria]

Well the thing is...........teachers in public schools need to be NEUTRAL towards religion and mentions about God and stuff like that.
I mean how would Christians react if a teacher of another religion tried to promote their beliefs in class?
Exactly.........the best policy is NEATURALITY so that nobody feels left out or gets caught up in arguments about what to believe. If the teacher wants to prolethsize, then let him teach at a Christian school!

Oh yeah ? They do allow some students to have their freedom of speech about their religion, Koran/Allah .. but, not Christians who wish to have their freedom of speech about God/Jesus. Soo, why can't they just treat the students the same treatment if, they allow them to share their beliefs about Koran/Allah ? Hmm... I don't think it is fair if, they give to some Christian students an F in test or D while givin' others an A or B for believin' there's no God ! I think that's ridiculous and even, dishonesty, too.

 

[missLsej]

Always need to remember that the Bible was written at a time when science was not used to research history. Stories were written to explain things not understood but now we know better.

In a public school no teacher should be teaching anything other than facts in a textbook (but not forget they are teaching students ). In a privately funded religious school is the only place where any religion should be freely taught. If that teacher wants to talk about religion he should go to Church or work at a religious school (even then the school should keep an eye on him b/c I don't know about those dinosaurs).

 

[deafdyke]

They do allow some students to have their freedom of speech about their religion, Koran/Allah .. but, not Christians who wish to have their freedom of speech about God/Jesus. Soo, why can't they just treat the students the same treatment if, they allow them to share their beliefs about Koran/Allah ? Hmm... I don't think it is fair if, they give to some Christian students an F in test or D while givin' others an A or B for believin' there's no God ! I think that's ridiculous and even, dishonesty, too.

Ummmm, they DO have freedom of speech. It just can't be SCHOOL SANCTIONED! Cyber....how would YOU like it if Christianity was the minor religion and the government said that the PUBLIC schools could preach and push whatever the majority religion was? It has NOTHING to do with grades earned on personal beliefs.............I don't think that's ever happened.
You miss my point...........public schools should be NEUTRAL towards ANY form of religion. They should acknowledge and teach about all kinds of beliefs and things like that...........but in more of a "learn about this religion" way, rather then as gospel (no pun intended) These are PUBLIC schools. PUBLIC schools are DIVERSE....They aren't all white, middle class, Christian........you have to respect the difference. How would YOU like it if your kids had to learn about the Gospel of the Flying Spagetti Monster? Hey...........if Christian parents don't like their kids not having Jesus and prayer and Bible in their schools,they can send them to a CHRISTAIN school.
Some token mentions of God and Jesus aren't gonna offend anyone, or cause trouble.

 

[shel90]

Ummmm, they DO have freedom of speech. It just can't be SCHOOL SANCTIONED! Cyber....how would YOU like it if Christianity was the minor religion and the government said that the PUBLIC schools could preach and push whatever the majority religion was? It has NOTHING to do with grades earned on personal beliefs.............I don't think that's ever happened.
You miss my point...........public schools should be NEUTRAL towards ANY form of religion. They should acknowledge and teach about all kinds of beliefs and things like that...........but in more of a "learn about this religion" way, rather then as gospel (no pun intended) These are PUBLIC schools. PUBLIC schools are DIVERSE....They aren't all white, middle class, Christian........you have to respect the difference. How would YOU like it if your kids had to learn about the Gospel of the Flying Spagetti Monster? Hey...........if Christian parents don't like their kids not having Jesus and prayer and Bible in their schools,they can send them to a CHRISTAIN school.
Some token mentions of God and Jesus aren't gonna offend anyone, or cause trouble.

Good point.

Good for the boy to speak up! I sure wouldnt want my daughter having a teacher telling her that she will go to hell for not believing in Jesus. That is not the teacher's business and shcool and religion SHOULD be kept separate! If I was the boy's mother, I would raise my own personal hell with the school. LOL!

 

[VamPyroX]

Oh yeah ? They do allow some students to have their freedom of speech about their religion, Koran/Allah .. but, not Christians who wish to have their freedom of speech about God/Jesus. Soo, why can't they just treat the students the same treatment if, they allow them to share their beliefs about Koran/Allah ? Hmm... I don't think it is fair if, they give to some Christian students an F in test or D while givin' others an A or B for believin' there's no God ! I think that's ridiculous and even, dishonesty, too.

You're right. There's freedom of speech. But it not right to preach to others when they aren't there for that kind of education. How would you like it if you went to class to get an education and your teacher started preaching about Wicca religion? Your teacher is practicing freedom of speech, but he's preaching something that's not part of your intent for being there.

These kids are in school to get an education, not to be preached upon. That's what church is for. People go to church to learn about God. That's a good place for preaching, not in school.

 

[christlovedeaf]

right by saying, its not right to preach about religion, but it is ok to preach about evolutions and assumptions in the education. True, I agree, shouldn't by saying you are going to hell as a straightforward, I don't agree with that phrase. Many were raised differently, what they have experiencing in bad enviroments. Bec same phrase have different way of how we say it and act by saying it.

 

[deafdyke]

but it is ok to preach about evolutions and assumptions in the education.

Well I think its fine to include a little disclaimer saying " evolution is the best theory that we've come up with to explain why we're here. It's not a rock solid theory" BUT I don't think that things like Intelligent Design should be taught in public schools. What next? The Creation story of some obscure African tribe?

 

[christlovedeaf]

Well I think its fine to include a little disclaimer saying " evolution is the best theory that we've come up with to explain why we're here. It's not a rock solid theory" BUT I don't think that things like Intelligent Design should be taught in public schools. What next? The Creation story of some obscure African tribe?

well, at the same time, evolution shouldnt be taught either, bec there is no proven fact by teaching kids assumptions instead of facts.

 

[deafdyke]

Oh and to add to that, I think that's a good idea, b/c some "Skeptic" types are just very obnoxious about any deviation from orthadox tenancy. Hardcore skeptics can be just as bad as some extreme fundies.

 

[lumbingmi]

well, at the same time, evolution shouldnt be taught either, bec there is no proven fact by teaching kids assumptions instead of facts.

Lol come on. evolution is real deal as you can see animals and plants undergo evolution process. so that why it is allowed for teacher to teach evolution in classroom. as for human evolution , it is senestive issue but there are evidences that human do evolved over time but the question is did we evolve from apes, that is up to debtable.

people who dont believe in evolutions would like to believe that world is flat, earth is center of universe, dinosaurs are fake, etc..

ignorace is bliss never rang truer like this kind of thnking.

 

[deafdyke]

Yeah, but its the best theory we have! It can't be proved throu an experiment........but I think that there should be a disclaimer saying "there's some disrepencies/ odd stuff out there, that some uberorthdox people have rejected time out of mind b/c it doesn't fit in with their correct theroy.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

well, at the same time, evolution shouldnt be taught either, bec there is no proven fact by teaching kids assumptions instead of facts.

Why?

I see nothing wrong to teach students about evolution and religion... Let students decide themselves what they beleive to. My boys have religion and evolution teachers at school...

The students have the right to know and focus why every religions have different beliefs, why evolution etc.

 

[Reba]

...people who dont believe in evolutions would like to believe that world is flat, earth is center of universe, dinosaurs are fake, etc....

I don't "believe in" evolution; I also don't believe the world is flat, I don't believe anyone knows where the "center" of the universe is, and I know that dinosaurs are real.

People who believe in Creation instead of evolution don't believe the world is flat, nor do they deny the existence of dinosaurs. I don't know where you get these weird ideas.