Persecution
Christian Persecution Pt I
School Bans
Bible During 'Free Reading' Time:
"He’s not permitted to read those
books in my classroom
At Issue: Religious Expression in
the School
Case Status: Ongoing
The Big Picture
A teacher at Park Lakes Elementary
School in Ft. Lauderdale, FL,
sternly ordered a
5th-grader—Giovanni Rubeo—to stop
reading his beloved Bible during
free reading time. She told him,
“Put it on my desk!” The teacher
then left a voicemail for Giovanni’s
father, telling him that “those
books” (meaning books like the
Bible) were not allowed in “her
classroom.”
Why this Case Matters
Broward County school officials
violated federal and state law that
guarantees the rights of public
school students to engage in private
religious expression and other
private religious activity in
schools—including reading religious
books like the Bible in free time.
The Facts
•On April 8, 2014, a teacher at Park
Lakes Elementary School in Ft.
Lauderdale, FL sternly ordered a
5th-grader—Giovanni Rubeo—to stop
reading his beloved Bible during
free reading time. She told him,
“Put it on my desk!”
•The teacher then left a voicemail
for Giovanni’s father, telling him
that “those books” (meaning books
like the Bible) were not allowed in
“her classroom.” Listen to actual
audio of the teacher’s voicemail
here.
•When Giovanni’s dad, Paul Rubeo,
protested his son’s treatment, the
school officials sent him a
two-sentence reply dodging the key
issue of whether students could read
religious material during free time.
•Giovanni’s father retained Liberty
Institute to represent him and his
son.
•On May 5, 2014, Liberty Institute
sent a letter to the Broward County,
Florida schools on behalf of Paul
Rubeo, and his son Giovanni. Our
letter demands a written apology
within 10 days, and restoration of
the rights of children in the
Broward School District..."
Related:
War on Christians
Response to comment [from other]: "He will win this case by virtue of "Freedom of Religious expression"..."
We'll see. She
set out to humiliate this boy in
front of his peers.
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