Appeals Court Upholds School District’s Order for Teacher to Cleanse Christianity from Classroom
ICC Note: An appeals court has recently upheld a ruling that demanded that a high school science teacher remove various references to the Christian faith from her classroom. From posters with Scripture verses to sticky notes referencing Bible verses stuck behind her desk, the teacher was ordered to remove everything under the threat of losing her position. After a lengthy legal battle that first came to attention in 2012, the matter could potentially reach the United States Supreme Court.
By Heather Clark
11/23/2016 United States (Christian News Network) – An appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling siding with a New York school district that instructed a teacher to cleanse Christianity from her classroom under threat of termination.
The Buffalo News reports that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals this month rejected the arguments of high school biology and anatomy teacher Joelle Silver that the Cheektowaga Central School District violated her rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion.
As previously reported, several years ago, Silver, who identifies as a Christian, had displayed several inspirational posters and artworks in her classroom, including a number of Scripture references and Christian materials.
One poster in Silver’s classroom included a quote from former President Ronald Reagan:
“Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience,” it read. “… Without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure … If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.”
Other materials included a drawing of three crosses on a hill, four small posters featuring verses from Psalms, and several sticky notes with biblical citations adhered to the back of Silver’s desk.