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APEX, N.C.
A North Carolina middle-school teacher has been suspended after reacting angrily on her Facebook page that she was subjected to a "hate crime" by Christian students.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that eighth-grade science teacher Melissa Hussain was suspended with pay while investigators review her case.
Wake schools spokesman Greg Thomas says parents objected to comments on Hussain's social-networking page about her conflict with Christian students.
Hussain wrote that she would punish students who anonymously left a Bible on her desk. Parents say a student earlier put a postcard of Jesus on Hussain's desk that she threw in the trash.
Hussain's Facebook page does not mention her religious affiliation. She did not respond to phone and e-mail messages.
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A Teacher!!
The classroom is an instructional environment and this teacher should have known how to deal with this situation without retaliation against a student. She was way off and should be punished for her actions, it is clear she has a negative view of Christian beliefs and that is her right. However, to punish a child that she is suppose to be teaching is unethical and goes against school policy. I personally would not feel comfortable with her teaching a child of mine, because who knows what else bothers her and will cause her to punish other children (if she has not already done so????).
What should she done? Tell her class, I would prefer that students do not leave information on my desk referring to Christianity, the Bible, or whatever bothers her. If she knows who the student is and that student persist then she has the option to write them up and send them to the principals office.
A teacher should be an example not one who retaliates.
Now . . .
I may be one of those fearful born again Christians but let's talk world views.
The same woman (and man?) who can be trusted to make a decision as to whether to give birth to a baby (new Virginia license plate, right?) can also be trusted to raise those children to whom she gives birth. With me so far?
In a country with freedom of religion, I am free to share my religion with you and you are free to tell me you're not interested (or tactfully throw my gospel tract away later or whatever). Once you say no, I move on, because Jesus never forced anyone so I won't either.
Muslims are free to raise their children their way, too. If Muslim kids put Korans on a Christian teacher's desk, she would still be the adult and they would still be the kids. She can and should lose her job for spouting on Facebook, regardless of the beliefs of the teacher or her students. By the way,kids get in trouble for Facebook threats all the time!
Now
Now if teachers would just be suspended for recommending that your child be put on medication when they are totally devoid of any medical qualifications.
jax9000
With all due respect, your comment regarding Rock Church christians "writhing" on the floor is way off base. I was a member there for 23 years and NEVER saw anyone "writhing" on the floor. Also, there is a great big difference between being "spiritual" and being a "Christian". To be a Christian is to live Christ-like. I agree we fall short of that many times in our life. That is why you may have heard it said, "we aren't perfect, but, forgiven". We are learning each day of our lives and, I must admit, it is getting harder and harder to deal with folk who constantly put us down and, even worse, come against our Lord, Jesus Christ. To us it is just like someone coming against one of your children or talking about your spouse with statements that are full of hatrid and, in most cases totally false.
My heart goes out to this teacher and her family as well as to the students and their families. She, being the adult, should have gone to her superiors and let them handle the situation. The students should also be disciplined as well. I don't believe she should lose her job, but, I think with a suspension, she will be allowed back and , hopefully, things will get back to normal
After All Is Stated..
...We agree to disagree on Rock Church.
Apologies, but my interaction with that church and a few others in the area was less than what I expected of church members.
Have you ever sat in the Waffle House across from Regent U. in military uniform and have people who work at Regent U. sitting there eating breakfast call you "baby killer"?
Did you lose a job because you refused to "tithe" to a certain church?
Have you walked into a church and been asked to provide income statements as well as a background check?
After your initial visit to a church, did you have members show up in the middle of night wanting to pray and then ask for money?
I have learned that religion in Hampton Roads is more of a "scam" business equal to that of an 18th century "snake oil salesman" selling the elixir of life! Witness pat robertson!
As you stated, and will agree with you, I hope both students and teacher are disciplined. Best wishes to you!
Sorry . . .
You didn't go to a church, you went to a cult. I have *never* heard of any of those things happening.
Wow Jax
I am sorry you have experienced such things, believe not all Christians, or churches are like the situations you described. The one thing all of those do have in common is humans, and humans are the crux of the problem most of the time. I have never experienced the things you have, and again I am sorry you've had to endure those types of things.
Lots of confusion about student rights
Most case law in the US has held that public schools operate in loco parentis (in place of parents) in matters related to students' rights. You can find a good piece on it here: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_stud.html In brief, if my parental authority allows me to search my child's room, prevent my child from hanging out with kids I don't like, disallow my child from reading texts that I consider pagan, and so on, most of that same authority is transferred to the school. Even in Tinker v Des Moines where the majority wrote that "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate," a huge exception was included to disallow freedoms for students when "[If] conduct by the student, in class or out of it, which for any reason - whether it stems from time, place, or type of behavior - materially disrupts classwork or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others is, of course, not immunized by the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech." In short, the arguments about teachers as "agents of the state" and students as "individual
Your terms . . .
"In loco parentis" isn't really accurate or we would not need to sign permission slips every time our kids leave the school with a teacher. Nor medical releases.
That said, the only part of your quote that might be argued here is whether the students invaded the privacy of the teacher. I vote "no." If she had journals on her desk or they took her own religious books or whatever (i.e., got into *her* things) I would agree.
But you can hardly argue that handing you one of *my* possessions invades *your* privacy. Again, if you don't like it, throw it away. I once dated a guy who took two books of Mormon when they were offered to us, then asked for several more. You got it--he dumped them at the first dumpster. He was hostile to Mormonism. Someone hostile to Christianity could do the same. Makes it expensive for us to do business, right?
End of statement
... In short, the arguments about teachers as "agents of the state" and students as "individuals with freedoms" are neither supported by case law nor the Constitution. Most freedoms for students are not protected by the Constitution as students are an excepted class, and teachers do not shed their rights merely because they choose to teach in public schools.