Broward County Public Schools officials have banned reading the Bible during “free reading” time.
It all started on April 8th when Giovanni Rubeo, fifth-grade student at the school, tried to read his Bible during the free reading time in class where students are allowed to read anything they choose.
Swornia Thomas, Giovanni’s teacher, told him that he’s not allowed to read the Bible in her class, so the boy asked his teacher to call his father about it, which she did.
“I noticed that he [Giovanni] has a book—a religious book—in the classroom. He’s not permitted to read those books in my classroom,” Thomas stated in the voicemail left for the father.
The father contacted the school’s principal, Orinthia Dias, who then brought in the school’s legal department. But no school official was willing to acknowledge the boy’s constitutional right to read his Bible.
“Banning religious books like the Bible violates Giovanni’s civil rights to religious free speech and free exercise,” stated Hiram Sasser, Litigation Director at Liberty Institute. “The school’s actions exemplify the hostility to religion that the U.S. Supreme Court has condemned.”
“We expect Broward County Public School officials to resolve this unfortunate incident quickly and amicably,” says Liberty Institute Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys. “Absent such an apology and assurance that students in Broward County Public Schools may read religious books like the Bible during free reading times, our client is prepared to take legal action.”
Listen to the voicemail message here:
Demand Letter to Broward County Schools 50514.pdf
Officials at Broward County Public Schools banned a fifth grader from reading the Bible during “free reading” time, according to lawyers from the Liberty Institute who are threatening to sue the school for violating the First Amendment.
Giovanni Rubeo is a fifth-grade student at the school, who had been given a Bible at church as a Christmas gift. It’s his favorite book, so he decided he’d like to read it during the time in class where students are allowed to read anything they choose.Swornia Thomas is Giovanni’s teacher. On April 8, Thomas told Giovanni he’s not allowed to read the Bible in her class and ordered him to put it away. Giovanni asked her to call his father, Paul Rubeo, about the incident.
Thomas did so, leaving a voicemail that included, “I noticed that he [Giovanni] has a book—a religious book—in the classroom. He’s not permitted to read those books in my classroom.” Rubeo then contacted the school’s principal, Orinthia Dias, who brought in the school’s legal department. None of them are willing to acknowledge that Giovanni has a constitutional right to read the Bible.
So Rubeo retained Liberty Institute to assert Giovanni’s First Amendment rights. Liberty Institute has now sent a demand letter to Broward County Public Schools and is holding a public event this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
its time to stop parents from interfering in schools if i tell your kid to do some thing and he or she does not do they would get detention or suspendtion from school for a year on this one i am backing the school teachers the muslim kids have no bissness being in public school its time to clean out the schools in florida if you dont want to learn then go some were els to another state some parents dont want to learn so they teach there kids bad hibits first of all you dont back talk teachers not in florida like i said if you dont want to learn then move to another state
they cant ban one book without banning others . i smell a law suit
give the kid a playboy to read in school see how far he gets with it
Why don’t the Christians stand up for their rights. If Broward County Schools got call after call they would change their position. How abt starting a petition on change. org?
IF THEY DO NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE AT THE SCHOOL SUE THEM. A RETIRED MARINE.
They would either fire that teacher immediately or would pull my child out of that school and put them in a Christian School
At one time the Bible was the only book schools had to teach from.
This is not a Communist country and the people doing are Traitors to this country and should be hung immediately
protest that schoooooooool
So let him read a Playboy in class instead, is that better?