Suspended high schooler claims religious persecution, sues

[Rocknrule]

Source: KOMOnews.com

EVERETT, Wash. -- An Everett high school student who claims he was wrongly suspended for loudly sharing his Christian faith has sued the school district, claiming his Constitutional rights were violated.

Michael Leal proselytized to his classmates at Cascade High School and passed out lengthy, mass-produced religious tracts, to the apparent annoyance of school administrators. Leal was suspended three times after he refused to tone down his freeform sermons and stop handing out Bible verses.

"There's people that talk about many other things -- football, basketball, baseball -- but when I start talking about the Bible, stat talking about Jesus, then people get riled up," Leal said.

With the help of a national Christian rights organization, Leal filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the Everett School District, his school principal and others. In it, he contends he was subjected to religious discrimination during a months-long fight with school staff over his sermons and pamphleteering.

Read more: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Suspended-high-schooler-claims-religious-persecution-sues--283290871.html

---

As they say, religion is like a certain male body part - it's fine to be proud of it, but please don't wave it around in public or shove it down a person's throat without their permission

[SoapBox]

1. Next thing...

he'll get a gun.

And IMHO, it's not just talking about ports or religion...it's HOW you talk about them.

His "proselytizing" and handing out all those flyers is what got him in trouble.

[groundloop]

2. He certainly has a right to discuss religion, but not to disrupt school

I'm quite certain his lawsuit will fall flat on its face because he was being disruptive. I can recall several other suits that were thrown out on similar grounds.

[sharp_stick]

3. Just another fucking street preacher

Damned annoying at the best of times I can imagine how pissed off I'd be if I couldn't avoid it.

[GreatGazoo]

4. Perhaps he could try it at In and Out Burger...(or not)

[Voice for Peace]

6. oy

when I see this I wonder if the guy is a PTSD vet.

Irrational outbursts of violent anger.. so many like that.

[starroute]

5. The Pacific Justice Institute has a nasty track record

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/31/meet-the-pacific-justice-institute-the-californ/196687

The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), a California-based right-wing advocacy organization, set a new standard for dishonesty on LGBT issues in 2013, concocting a story about bathroom harassment by a transgender student in an effort to deny transgender students access to facilities that match their gender identities. In a year that witnessed a spike in transphobic commentary by right-wing media, PJI's lie proliferated on outlets like Fox News, highlighting the extent to which outright misinformation undergirds the conservative media's anti-LGBT horror stories. For its willingness to lie in the service of undermining LGBT rights, PJI has earned the dubious distinction of LGBT Misinformer of the Year.

Transgender student rights received newfound prominence this year, as Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law in August guaranteeing that transgender students would be able to use facilities and participate in programs that match their gender identities. Meanwhile, the Colorado Civil Rights Division ruled this summer that transgender six-year-old Coy Mathis should be allowed to use the girls' restroom at her school.

PJI joined a coalition of right-wing extremist groups working to overturn the California law, but its effort to roll back transgender rights in Colorado propelled the organization to notoriety. As it pondered how to ensure that transgender students lost proper facility access, PJI ran into an inconvenient reality: School districts that allow students to use facilities that correspond to their gender identity have reported "nothing but positive results." Right-wing fears about inappropriate bathroom behavior had no empirical basis.

With no actual instances of misconduct to point to, PJI decided to invent one. On October 10, the organization issued a press release proclaiming its discovery of a "nightmare," alleging that a "teen boy" in Colorado had been harassing girls in the restroom:


http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/31/meet-the-pacific-justice-institute-the-californ/196687

While PJI bills itself as a generalist religious liberty advocacy group, the organization specializes in combating efforts to protect LGBT youth, especially in California's public schools. Since its inception, PJI has worked to stifle even the most modest efforts to make schools more welcoming environments for LGBT students, including:

* Lobbying against a bill to ban ineffective "ex-gay" therapy for minors
* Warning that "Name Calling Week" is secretly a plot to advance "overt pro-homosexual messages"
* Attacking "Harvey Milk Day," named in honor of the gay rights icon, as forcing children to "focus on sexuality for an entire school day"
* Claiming that letting students access LGBT websites at school would "increase access to porn"
* Falsely stating that a bill requiring LGBT history to be taught in public schools would result in "LGBT indoctrination"
* Advocating for students who speak out against homosexuality during the anti-bullying "Day of Silence"
* Criticizing proposed curriculum to teach students not to use homophobic language

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

7. Didn't Jesus talk against proselytizing?

Why do Christ-ians never listen to Christ?

[DFW]

8. From "The Evolution" as sung by Sam Brownback

To the tune of "The Locomotion"

Now that you believe it, come join the cult now,
(Come on, baby, don’t teach evolution)
Tell your children’s teacher there’s a new result, now
(Come on, baby, don’t teach evolution)
What Darwin found is causing me a lot of grief
Religion’s free as long as it is MY belief!
So come on, come on, don’t teach evolution to me!

[JCMach1]

9. he will lose in court... disruptive activities are not protected speech at school...

[DFW]

10. I was once asked to contribute money for an American "Christian" to go to India

It was so they could convert the people there to Christianity.

I said I would just as much as they contrubited to Indians wanting to come to America to convert Americans to Hinduism. For some reason, I never heard how much that was............

[hobbit709]

11. Matthew 6:5

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

[Hoppy]

18. Whoa there, Gabby. You're gonna put down yer plate of beans an tell me what?

That a man thinks he can get to hebbin by preachin' on the street corner or even by goin' to a synagogue and not by goin' to a Christian church?

[workinclasszero]

20. They don't believe in Jesus

Their god is money, power, guns, race, whatever fox news, rush limpballs and their heretic preacher at the local mega church tells them "god" or "jesus" or "christianity" is.

Most of all hate and rage. And these people are dangerous and fully armed and ready to pop off.

They are to fuckin stupid to question the hate being shoveled down their throats 24/7.

[AtheistCrusader]

12. Well, he's going to lose.

The First Amendment is not liberty license to be an asshole anywhere at any time.

[Odin2005]

13. "Persecuted" for being an obnoxious little shit, more like.

Religion is not an excuse to disrupt class and harass your classmates.

[eppur_se_muova]

14. I missed the section about "Freedom of Assholery" ...

If only I carried one of those little copies of the Holy Constitution in my pocket, I'm sure I could look it up.

[hamsterjill]

15. So, this same student is going to stand up when a Muslim or Hindu or other wants to do the same?

That's the part that these people don't get. Would they really be okay with some other religion talking about their beliefs at school and handing out literature that evidenced their beliefs?

For the record, I'm Christian. But a public school is not the place for this type of stuff, and no, I don't push my belief system off on anyone anywhere.

[Turbineguy]

16. Plaintiff should request change of venue

to a more ignorant part of the state.

[Iggo]

17. "Persecuted."

[Bryce Butler]

19. ...

"Freedom of religion means freedom to hold an opinion or belief, but not to take action in violation of social duties or subversive to good order," Chief Justice Waite wrote in Reynolds v. United States (1878).

I sure would be nice if these religious nuts could read.

[Runningdawg]

21. Good for Everett HS

They finally grew a pair. My cousins were born there and graduated from that HS in the mid 70's. This type of activity used to be encouraged.

[weissmam]

22. If he can do that , then I cne get in his face and tell him he is an idiot

[reflection]

23. I'll rec this just for the last sentence.

[happyslug]

24. If he did this right, and it appears he DID NOT, he would have a case.

The school seems NOT to have a policy as to what Students can discuss (or what they can NOT discuss). The school does not have a policy of how students could hand out any "papers" that the School itself did NOT produce. Thus if the school went after this student for violating such non-rule, the suspension would be illegal.

Now, if the school did have rules as to what students could discuss in school (including restrictions as to when and how) and how such students could hand out non-school papers, then if such rules are neutral on their face and this student violated them, the suspension would be upheld by the courts.

Remember you can NOT discriminate against any religion, thus the above restrictions MUST also apply to students discussing the Football team, the local professional football team or any other non-religious activity (including where to go to have a party).

If this students kept his "preaching" to the level of other's conversation of football (Football often includes exchanging plays put down on paper, thus this includes handing out religious tracks) the the School action to ban such activity is illegal.

Remember the First Amendment does NOT mandate a separation of Church and State (that phase is from a letter Jefferson wrote years later) but that the Government will NOT support NOR suppress any religion. The traditional rule has been if the rule is applicable to non-religious activity, then it is a valid restriction even if it restricts religion. On the other hand, if the restrictions only applies to Religion, then it violates the First Amendment.

Thus the key to this case is WHAT rule did the Student violate and how that rule is worded AND used (i.e. it can be religiously neutral on its face, but if only used against religion in regards to activities that are permitted for non-religious activities then it is illegal for ir violate the First Amendment).

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

http://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment1.html

As I read the article, the Student did much more then in normal for student activity in school. Talking to fellow students about Jesus is protected Speech, but preaching when no one else can do similar speeches is NOT protected Speech. Handing out books or pamphlets about Jesus is Protected Speech, but handling them out in such a way to disrupt normal school activities is NOT (i.e. If he ends up blocking doorways, hallways, classrooms etc that the School will NOT tolerate for an Anti-War, or Pro-War protest, it is NOT protected speech).

Please note standing and giving out pamphlets is NOT illegal by itself. If the school only permits such activities as long as it does not interfere with school activities, then the school must permit it to be done by religious or non-religious groups. The School can NOT ban Religious Groups or persons from doing what others are permitted to do.

Thus my comment, this student appears to have NOT done it right. He wanted to be able to preach and hand out books when non-religious people are forbidden to do both. As long as the School's actions are reasonable and the restrictions are NOT viewed as an attack on Religion, the Courts will uphold the School.

This student's only chance is if the School applied different rules to this student compared to what the school permitted other students to do in regards to secular activities. That does NOT sound like what happened, so I suspect the Student the the group funding the lawsuit are doing this for publicity. Lets admit, as to a claim for publicity for this student and the group behind him. both have already "won", thus the actual lawsuit, even if it goes against them (which I think it will) will be a long forgotten after thought.

[valerief]

25. I see, he has the right to act like an asshole, but no one else has the right to tell him to shut

the fuck up.

[Dawson Leery]

26. This little putz needs to learn that we the public do not exist to be subjects of your proselytizing.

[rurallib]

27. he needs to move to a country where spouting religion in public is encouraged

like Saudi Arabia

[Festivito]

28. I seem to disagree with almost every one who posted here.

I found nothing in the article where others were stopped from expressing their religious views.

Students can be loud so can he. If students want to distribute underground newspaper so can he.

If he is disrupting others ability to express themselves then he should be charged with disrupting others ability to express themselves.

I think the administration is well intended. Good intentions pave the road to hell. Let's not go there by trying to quell free speech.

[F4lconF16]

29. You're not the only one.

And I'm a staunch anti-theist. I can't see on what grounds they could prevent him from doing this. I didn't really see the disruption, either.

That said, I hope there's more to the story. It pisses me off when people do that. Knowing most of the people that do that type of thing tend to be loud and obnoxious and think the rules don't apply to them, I wouldn't be surprised.

If it were my school, I'd do what a friend of mine recently did to a preacher on my campus up here: he got a huge sign made and put it on a big pole, and then when this particular preacher came in and started telling people they were all sinners, he stood behind him with the sign.

It read: Smoke meth, hail Satan! And in big red letters, too

[Festivito]

32. Lots of free speech curtailors around here.

Free speech may look and sound ugly, but, without it, life begins to look much uglier.

A sign is much better than punching noses in anger.

[Orsino]

30. Looking for a free, captive audience.

Homeboy should be proselytizing where kids are not required by law to be, and where adults don't have to work.

[Rocknrule]

31. There are plenty of street corners in the Seattle area

He should take his hellfire and damnation speeches there, not in a completely inappropriate forum (public school) where he has a captive audience.