The Education Of Mr. Yoakley: Brave Bible-Belt Teacher Sanctioned For Standing Up For Students

[Adsos Letter]

Sep 10, 2012 by Rob Boston in Wall of Separation

Earlier this year, Americans United came to the assistance of a high school senior in Tennessee named Krystal Myers. Krystal, a resident of Lenoir City, is an atheist who decided to write a column for the school newspaper about her experiences attending public schools in the Bible Belt town.

Myers outlined a series of “special rights” that she said the religious majority at the school enjoyed. These included sectarian prayers at graduation ceremonies, prayer at football games, teachers wearing clothing with religious imagery and prayers to open school board meetings.

The column turned out to be too hot to handle. When school administrators got wind of it, they yanked the piece from the school newspaper, The Panther Press. It later appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel, where it reached a bigger audience, but, unfortunately, sparked a round of attacks on Krystal. Some commentators even proposed that she be run out of town.

By this time, Americans United was on the case. AU attorneys sent a letter to Lenoir City school officials, telling them that they must stop promoting religion in school. They advised school officials to “suspend delivery of prayers at board meetings; prohibit distribution of religious literature and messages during the school day, including by outside ministries; prohibit teachers from promoting religion during their classes; and eliminate prayers from graduation ceremonies and other school events.”

http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-education-of-mr-yoakley-brave-bible-belt-teacher-sanctioned-for

[cbayer]

1. Good for both the student and the teacher.

Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion, imo, and it sounds like this school was way out of line.

Glad to see they made some changes and glad Mr. Yoakley is happy in his new school.

The times they are achangin'.

[Adsos Letter]

2. "Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion..."

I believe this is exactly the point of Church/State separation, and the very crux of the rejection of political religion by many of our fellow posters.

[cbayer]

3. I'm not sure what you mean by political religion.

[Adsos Letter]

4. It was a spur-of-the-moment phrase coining...

...probably not the best.

I simply mean the attempt to formally base legislation, etc., on religious belief.

[cbayer]

5. Gotcha and agree completely.

[Thats my opinion]

6. The activities cited--in the main--have no place in public schools.

Wearing religious emblems may be permissible under the law, but not the other activities.
Myers is to be congratulated for bringing this to the surface.