Student Punished for Christian Faith

This one should create an interesting debate.

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Student Punished for Christian Faith


Fourteen year old Dakota Ary attends Western Hills High School in Fort Worth Texas. He is an honor student, plays football and has never been in trouble at school; that is until earlier this week.

According to Dakota, the topic of homosexuality has been discussed on a number of occasions in his German language class. When the topic came up in class again this week, he told the student behind him that he was a Christian and that he believed being a homosexual was wrong.
His German teacher overheard his comment and started yelling at him and threatened to write him up with an infraction and then sent him to the school’s office. Upon hearing what had taken place and what Dakota had said, the assistant principal gave Dakota a two day suspension from school.

Read more: Student Punished for Christian Faith | Godfather Politics http://godfatherpolitics.com/1104/student-punished-for-christian-faith/#ixzz1YoLTofuY

Update:

Western Hills student suspended for denouncing homosexuality has punishment reversed

FORT WORTH -- A Western Hills High School student who was suspended from school for saying homosexuality is wrong has had his punishment reversed, according to the boy's mother and attorney.

Freshman Dakota Ary was in German class Tuesday when the discussion turned to religion, and a student in the back of the class asked about that country's views of homosexuality.

"I told my friend that I'm a Christian and I believe being gay is wrong," said Ary, 14. "But the teacher told me I shouldn't say things like that, and he wrote me an infraction. I was surprised. I wasn't discriminating or being a bully. I was just expressing my beliefs."

The teacher sent Ary to the office, where an assistant principal placed him on three-day in-school suspension.

Pope said that she met with Principal James Wellman on Wednesday morning and that he reversed the suspension. The suspension will not be on Ary's record, she said, and he will be allowed to make up missed class work.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/09/22 ... ended.html

Well, that certainly ends this "interesting" debate.

What was the interesting part?

There wasn't an interesting part.

Martin Ent Inc wrote: What was the interesting part?

The reflexive reaction to impose sanctions on someones spoken opinion.

From a local source (near Fort Worth)

Religions, the Bible and religious views in Germany had come up in the class. According to the discipline referral form filled out by the teacher, the teacher was telling students how to say religion and Christianity. Ary asked about a question about Bibles in different countries and what language they are in.

On the referral form, Ary is quoted as saying "no gays allowed in Christianity." The form says the comment was unprovoked and out of context. The final sentence of the explanation on the referral reads, "It is wrong to make such a statement in public school."

I think the problem is the principal. The teacher likely wanted to re-focus attention on German (not religion) - and gave the student a "time out." I think that's likely reasonable. I think the principal's decision to suspend the student seems a little odd. My guess is - the student has a pattern of disrupting classes, on the grounds of expressing his faith.

This is the kind of case I'd hope would be resolved with a parent/teacher or parent/principal meeting. A suspension is simply an invitation for big time distractions.

well BB the two reports kind of contradict each other because the first one said he had never been in any trouble before. You call it a distraction, I call it another case that shows religion is being attacked in every form.

I'm not sure that religion is/was the problem (although a note on the referral form has questionable wording).

I don't think the principal should have suspended the student - and I think he got himself into a PR fiasco.

The student's family claim he's never been in trouble - and the school cannot comment one way or another (FERPA/privacy rules).

The only organization that can comment on the case is the family, itself.

I'd guess there's more to the story than what we're hearing --- but the school is legally not allowed to discuss the case.

This from another source:

a high school student in
Fort Worth, Texas, was recently suspended for merely
stating his Christian view on homosexuality - while
his teacher had posted a photo of two men kissing in
the classroom, telling students that homosexuality is
becoming more prevalent in the world and that they
should just accept it!