Another Student Takes a Stand Against Discrimination

Imagine your child is being discriminated against and embarrassed in class by her teacher, because of the teacher’s disdain for her Christian religion.  Would you allow this to go on?

A few weeks ago, we were approached by Heidi Oatis, whose daughter Tommi appeared to be suffering just this kind of discrimination from her seventh grade teacher in Union City, CA.

During her World History Class, Tommi stated that her teacher would frequently make derogatory statements about Christianity.  Here are some of the facts as reported by Tommi:

• During a class discussions, the teacher has referred to Christians as “zombie worshippers” and said it’s a very “bloody religion.”
• When speaking about Jesus’ crucifixion, she told her class that the Bible was false and rhetorically asked, “Why would anyone believe the Bible since it was written 2,000 years ago?”
• In another instance, the teacher held up a picture of someone drinking out of a “Blacks Only” water fountain and compared it to another picture relating to California’s Proposition 8 (the voter-backed initiative to define marriage as between one man and one woman).  As a young African-American, Tommi took offense to this comparison and said it was not fair to equate these two distinct issues.
• Tommi told her mother about these instances in class, among others, and Mrs. Oatis then met with the teacher. After that meeting, the teacher seemed to take out her frustration on Tommi, once walking by her desk, picking up her work, and then slamming it down on her desk, saying something to the effect of, “You think I’m picking on you?”
• Finally, Tommi and her mother met with the Vice Principal and this teacher.  Tommi was practically begging to be removed from this classroom, but the Vice Principal refused.

We are informed that this is not the first instance this teacher has received complaints about her antics and comments during class; we know of several other parents and students who have made complaints.  Still, nothing has been done to rectify the situation.

This month, we sent a demand letter to the Principal of the school and the Superintendent of the school district outlining these events.  We believe that this teacher is violating the Establishment Clause by taking a hostile stance against the Christian religion in her classroom.  We firmly believe that if teachers cannot promote Christianity in the classroom, they must not be free to display hostility towards Christianity, either.

Please keep Mrs. Oatis and her daughter Tommi in your prayers. They are courageous to take a stand on this situation that no one has seen fit to correct yet.  And, please continue to support Advocates with your prayers, as well.  We are waiting on a response from the school district, but if they do not immediately take action, we may have to take this case into litigation.

Putting “Christ” Back in “Christmas”

On Wednesday, January 12^th, members from the community of Elk Grove, CA, gathered at their City Council meeting to hear whether the City would stop using the term “holiday trees,” and instead call them what they are – “Christmas trees.”  The result?  A resounding yes to “Christmas,” and it all happened because of one concerned citizen.

Back in August 2010, Liz Stefanik received a flier referencing “holiday trees.”  Curious about what exactly a holiday tree was, she investigated further and found that the flier had come from the City and was, in fact, alluding to Christmas trees.  It seemed that for legal reasons, the City had decided to use a more generic term to refer to Christmas trees.  Liz attended the next City Council meeting six weeks later and asked if they could discuss why they were using generic terminology, but the Council said that they would have to go through the official process of putting this item of discussion on the agenda for the next meeting.

Finally, five months after she had initially heard of “holiday trees” in City communications, Liz had a chance to stand up for Christmas.  She had come prepared – she brought three of her friends to support the cause, and she called Advocates for Faith & Freedom to get a legal perspective on the issue. General Counsel Bob Tyler assured Liz that, legally, there is nothing wrong with the City referring to “Christmas trees.”  In fact, Bob assured her that if the City faced legal opposition for its reference to “Christmas,” Advocates would provide a legal defense for the City for free!

Armed with this knowledge and supporters at her side, Liz argued her case before the City Council on January 12^th. Immediately, the Council voted 5-0 in support of using the term “Christmas trees.

Liz was overwhelmed by the positive reaction from the Council, and she learned something valuable from this experience. “One person really can make a difference,” she stated.  All it took was her concern, investigation, and action to get this issue addressed and corrected.

Advocates was delighted to be part of this victory, in whatever small way possible.  We know that not all important cases are won after months or even years in a courtroom.  In cases like this, all we need to do is provide a legal perspective and be ready to act if religious intolerance persists.

If you ever hear of religious liberties being violated in your school, work, or community, remember that you can make an impact, and Advocates will be ready to respond!