Religion

pokerfan

(27,677 posts) Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:19 PM Jun 2015

Teacher Sued After Punishing Second-Grader for Being an Atheist

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/06/26/teacher-sued-after-punishing-second-grader-for-being-an-atheist/

Earlier this year at Forest Park Elementary School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a second-grader known only as A.B. was asked by his classmate where he went to church:

A.B. responded by stating that he did not go to church and did not believe in God. He also stated that it was fine with him if his inquiring classmate believed in God.

Good answers, but they upset the girl who asked him and she began to cry. Eventually, their teacher Michelle Meyer stepped in to find out what happened and it resulted in her punishing A.B.!

Ms. Meyer told A.B. that she was very concerned about what he had done and that she was going to contact his mother — although she never did.

This was very upsetting to A.B. as he was made to feel that he had done something wrong.

It got worse after that:

On the day of the incident and for an additional two days thereafter, Ms. Meyer required that A.B. sit by himself during lunch and told him he should not talk to the other students and stated that this was because he had offended them. This served to reinforce A.B.’s feeling that he had committed some transgression that justified his exclusion.

Rest of the story at link. Warning, it gets worse.

18 replies

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Highlight:

Teacher Sued After Punishing Second-Grader for Being an Atheist (Original Post) pokerfan Jun 2015 OP

"he should not talk to the other students and stated that this was because he had offended them" trotsky Jun 2015 #1

Sounds an awful lot like a certain echo chamber not far from here, doesn't it. AtheistCrusader Jun 2015 #15

Not good Angry Dragon Jun 2015 #2

Horrible, she should be fired at the very least and I hope the suit is successful. cbayer Jun 2015 #3

I wonder whether she has ever done something like this before? mike_c Jun 2015 #5

It's not just a single mistake. She dug a hole and just kept digging. cbayer Jun 2015 #7

Except that all licensed teachers know better. AwakeAtLast Jun 2015 #13

Yeah, really. nt awoke_in_2003 Jun 2015 #14

Technically the boy was not punished for *being* an atheist Fumesucker Jun 2015 #4

Wow, is that stretching. (nt) jeff47 Jun 2015 #8

I've never run into problems from being an atheist Fumesucker Jun 2015 #10

Perhaps atheist kids should be taught to lie Mariana Jun 2015 #18

That kid must be one of those New Atheists. progressoid Jun 2015 #6

The more it costs her, the better I'll feel. Don't push your religion on children. Shrike47 Jun 2015 #9

Until confirmed I would be skeptical exboyfil Jun 2015 #11

You make good points and I tend to take the same approach as you do, cbayer Jun 2015 #17

My heart breaks for that kid LostOne4Ever Jun 2015 #12

Rage levels at maximum. AtheistCrusader Jun 2015 #16

trotsky

(49,533 posts)

1. "he should not talk to the other students and stated that this was because he had offended them"

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:22 PM

Jun 2015

Sounds strangely familiar...

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)

15. Sounds an awful lot like a certain echo chamber not far from here, doesn't it.

Reply to trotsky (Reply #1)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 01:54 AM

Jun 2015

Angry Dragon

(36,693 posts)

2. Not good

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:27 PM

Jun 2015

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

3. Horrible, she should be fired at the very least and I hope the suit is successful.

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:32 PM

Jun 2015

mike_c

(36,281 posts)

5. I wonder whether she has ever done something like this before?

Reply to cbayer (Reply #3)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:40 PM

Jun 2015

She should be fired and sued? Really? I'd agree if this was a pattern of behavior she had been warned about, but not if it's a single mistake. Yes, some discipline is likely warranted, but what happened to the notion of progressive discipline? Surely a better solution might be to discuss the matter with her, explain why it's inappropriate, and work with the student and parents to resolve the matter amicably. Everyone makes mistakes on the job. I've made some real bone headed ones-- if the solution is to go straight to scorched earth-- or destroyed career-- then none of us is safe from ourselves.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

7. It's not just a single mistake. She dug a hole and just kept digging.

Reply to mike_c (Reply #5)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:44 PM

Jun 2015

If she would humiliate and ostracize a child because he was black or gay or had cerebral palsy or red hair or didn't speak english very well, would that merit progressive discipline?

This is blatant bigotry that has no place in the classroom.

Without more details, I agree that it is hard to be overly judgmental, but based on what is available, this looks really really bad.

AwakeAtLast

(14,132 posts)

13. Except that all licensed teachers know better.

Reply to mike_c (Reply #5)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 06:40 PM

Jun 2015

There is absolutely no excuse for her behavior towards that student.

awoke_in_2003

(34,582 posts)

14. Yeah, really. nt

Reply to mike_c (Reply #5)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 07:15 PM

Jun 2015

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)

4. Technically the boy was not punished for *being* an atheist

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:34 PM

Jun 2015

He was punished for talking about being an atheist.

jeff47

(26,549 posts)

8. Wow, is that stretching. (nt)

Reply to Fumesucker (Reply #4)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:57 PM

Jun 2015

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)

10. I've never run into problems from being an atheist

Reply to jeff47 (Reply #8)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 03:22 PM

Jun 2015

It's only when other people find out that my atheism creates problems and conflict for me.

Mariana

(14,858 posts)

18. Perhaps atheist kids should be taught to lie

Reply to Fumesucker (Reply #10)

Sun Jun 28, 2015, 10:50 AM

Jun 2015

when asked where they go to church, or what their religion is.

progressoid

(49,992 posts)

6. That kid must be one of those New Atheists.

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 02:42 PM

Jun 2015

Probably has a blog devoted to Dawkins and a picturer of Madalyn Murray O'Hair on his lunch box.

Kid should just learn to sit down and shut up.

Shrike47

(6,913 posts)

9. The more it costs her, the better I'll feel. Don't push your religion on children.

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 03:10 PM

Jun 2015

exboyfil

(17,863 posts)

11. Until confirmed I would be skeptical

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 03:29 PM

Jun 2015

Accepting as fact the pleading of one side in a dispute without further inquiry leads to overreactions that hurt your cause. For example recently Loyal Grandstaff whose accusations regarding the teacher preventing him from reading his Bible was not sustained upon further examination. I am still irritated that the lazy reporter in that case never did a follow up.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

17. You make good points and I tend to take the same approach as you do,

Reply to exboyfil (Reply #11)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 09:21 AM

Jun 2015

but this seems so egregious. However, it is short of hard information.

LostOne4Ever

(9,289 posts)

12. My heart breaks for that kid

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Fri Jun 26, 2015, 04:35 PM

Jun 2015

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]That teacher has no right to teach a box of rocks.

I hope she loses the suit and then her job, and the school does something to make things up to the boy.[/font]

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)

16. Rage levels at maximum.

Reply to pokerfan (Original post)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 01:59 AM

Jun 2015

If some asshat pulled that with my kid, they'd need all the help their imaginary friend can muster.

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