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.
THIS IS A CRIME.
Prayers.
The most obvious thing about this is that the entire staff of administrators and teachers are bunch of Constitutionally ignorant asses who need, as a part of any legal settlement here, to be compelled to attend and successfully complete a course on the Constitution of the United States as a condition of their continued employment in this or any other school system in Florida or any other state. A Federal Civil Rights suit brought in a Federal District Court could impose just such a requirement.
I KNOW IT HURTS PEOPLES FEELINGS, BUT, THIS IS A JUDEO CHRISTIAN FOUNDED COUNTRY….
This teacher must be an atheist!
I bet that if a student was reading the Koran they will leave him alone and will probably stop serving bacon or pork altogether. By the way, Jewish people don’t eat pork either BUT they will not bother you or make a living hell for you if you buy, sell or eat pork. That’s how different these two religions are – one disrespect all other religions, the other one doesn’t.
Should have been reading the Koran, the fiction of the butt-plug Muhammad and his alcohol-induced stupors.
This is so wrong!
obama and the idiot liberials do not want americans to have the right to free speech and the freedom to believe in god.impeach them all
there all on the devils side.