Elementary Students Told Jesus and Bibles Not Welcome

A 3rd grade student in New Jersey was recently admonished by her teacher for reading her Bible during class quiet time [1].  The teacher told the girl that the Bible was not "appropriate reading material" and ordered her to put it away.  The girl then put it in her desk, but the teacher told her she had to put it "in her backpack", (to take it back home).

And, if that weren't bad enough, when the girls mother found out about it, she went to the teacher to complain and, getting no where), went to the school's principal - who backed up the teacher in saying that was "school policy".

The mother finally found someone with some sense when she went to the school district, where she was told the school was wrong and it's fine for her child to bring (and read) the Bible at school.  (The mother wants something in writing...and who can blame her).

And from Massachusetts [2] we have a similar issue where the father of an eight year old boy says his son was sent home from school after he drew a picture showing Jesus on a cross.  After complaining about it and the story became public, the father, who works for the school district as a custodian, has had his hours cut.  And before the kid was "cleared" to go back to school, he was "evaluated" to make sure he wasn't a "threat" to himself or others.  From the story:

Superintendent Julie Hackett said she could not discuss an individual student and did not address the drawing specifically or the teacher's reaction to it, but did say the school has safety protocols in place that were followed.

"It is unfortunate that the actions of our district staff have been classified as 'religious' in nature when, in fact, they were based solely on the wellbeing of the student," the school said in a statement.

Well, she's wrong there.  The district's actions are not "religious" in nature.  They're anti-religious.

The point not to miss in all this to recognize how far things have gone with the government taking such a hostile position to religion that a teacher, principle or school district would take such positions to begin with (whether it was their own, or a mistaken view of district policy on their part - or indeed district policy).