Student teacher says (coerced) prayer complaint cost her diploma

Student teacher says prayer complaint cost her diploma
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BY FRED BATISTE
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NEW ORLEANS --

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The state branch of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal civil lawsuit on behalf of Cynthia Thompson Wednesday accusing School Board and Southeastern Louisiana University officials of wrongfully giving her a failing grade, which kept her from graduating this semester. U.S. District Court Judge Lance Africk will preside over the case.

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According to the compliant, Sullivan conducted a preschool Bible study group in the school's cafeteria. Thompson said those were held Thursdays, and Sullivan chastised students who did not show up to the sessions and had them make sure they had their own Bibles.

"I objected to her on several occasions, but she made several comments that she's been teaching for 12 years and she could do what she wants in her classroom," Thompson said. "I'm not against children praying on their own, but I'm against a teacher coercing them into such a practice."

Sullivan initiated her to call on the fourth-grade students to pray before lunch, Thompson said. She accidentally called upon a Lebanese student to pray, and the child recited the prayer. There was an instance where the student stood outside the cafeteria while Sullivan and others were in a Bible club meeting.

"When I arrived, I approached the little girl and asked where Mrs. Sullivan was," Thompson said. "She said she was in the cafeteria. She said she wasn't in there 'because I'm from Lebanon, and my parents don't approve of that.' "

complete story: http://www.hammondstar.com/articles/2005/06/09/top_stories/news13.txt