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.
If that school is so ignorant of definition, all of their funding should be removed. They can try to operate on charity funding.
they cvant do that fre time is the childrens choice but if christains cant read hteir bible o nfree time hten others cant eithe but parants need ot act and act quickly if they take hteir kids out of that school there would be no fund teachers would get pink slipped and so would the princpals and supervisors this way they will get their heads out of their asses and wake up and stop their ass kissing
THATS WHY WE HAVE SO MANY VIOLENT KIDS NO MORAL VALUES THE HUMAN LIFE IS WOTH NOTHING ANYMORE.
All parents should start repetitiously suing the schools until they’re bankrupt
That will stop them
Supreme Court disagrees with this teacher and school, better change it back to God loving Country.
that goes for the koran and no religious ceromonies on school property even for the muslims –cant pray to meca and cant say allah
ONCE parents controlled the schools.
Fire the teacher and administration !!!!!
Do they have any Muslins in school? If so, are they allowed to wear rags on their heads and carry and use the prayer rugs???
Justice is Our Lords