Posted on 12/22/2004 7:05:54 AM PST by Graybeard58
With all the accolades heaped on Robert Ziegler last night, it looked at times like his bosses were giving him a commendation rather than firing him.
Robert Ziegler, right, hugs Papillion-La Vista High Principal Jim Glover after being fired by the district's school board Tuesday.
Ziegler, 24, a Papillion-La Vista High School math teacher, was described as a "a marvelous young man," "an asset to the community," "honest, candid, capable."
"I hope my son can turn out to be as fine a gentleman as Mr. Ziegler," said Rick Black, an assistant superintendent for the Papillion-La Vista schools.
But Ziegler's bosses also said he repeatedly disobeyed their orders to stop preaching and start teaching.
Black and two other administrators said Ziegler had repeatedly talked about his personal religious beliefs in class, triggering complaints from students and a parent, and would not stop, even after his bosses told him it could cost him his job.
After taking testimony from the administrators and from Ziegler for two hours and 40 minutes Tuesday night, the Papillion-La Vista School Board voted 6-0 to terminate Ziegler's teaching contract on grounds of insubordination and unprofessional conduct.
Board President Valerie Fisher said the evidence was "clear." The board deliberated about 50 minutes.
Afterward, Ziegler said he would not challenge the decision in court. He did not have a lawyer, and he called no witnesses.
About 75 people - including some of his family members from the Riverton, Neb., area - attended the special hearing, which Ziegler requested to plead his case to the board.
Ziegler was a second-year teacher who got his bachelor's degree from Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind. Bethel is an evangelical Christian college affiliated with the Missionary Church.
At the hearing, he told board members that his case was their opportunity to "make a stand for God."
"You're either for him or against him" he said.
Ziegler said that as a teacher he saw 120 students a day, many with "issues and worries" that were barriers to learning. By giving up their cares to Jesus, the students would be free to learn, he said.
The district's lawyer, Kelley Baker, however, asserted that the law clearly prohibits teachers from imposing their religious beliefs on students and from praying with or in the presence of them.
In a legal brief for the board, Baker wrote that school districts that fail to stop improper practices regarding religion can be held liable for a teacher's actions.
"School administrators have both the right and the obligation to direct teachers not to engage in such activity during school, and to stop it if they are already engaging in it," Baker wrote.
Jerry Kalina, an assistant principal at the high school, testified that a co-teacher from Ziegler's classroom first reported Oct. 4 that Ziegler was talking to students about his religious beliefs in class.
Ziegler was told to stop, but the co-teacher reported on Nov. 1 that he was doing it again, Kalina said.
A few days later, a student came to Kalina's office and said Ziegler was talking about his faith and that it upset her, Kalina said. The student said Ziegler had stopped her in the hall and asked if he could pray for her. She told him she felt uncomfortable while he prayed.
The girl's mother complained on Nov. 8 that she expected her daughter to learn math, not religion, in the class, Kalina said.
Kalina said he again told Ziegler to stop.
He said Ziegler was encouraged to talk to his minister and to contact former Cornhuskers receivers coach Ron Brown to get advice on how to juggle his beliefs and his teaching duties.
On Nov. 16, a student again raised the issue of Ziegler speaking about religion in class, Kalina said. The student said Ziegler wrote on the board "What inspires you to love people?" and another time "If you were to die today, what would you put on your tombstone, and why?"
The next day, a teacher reported that a student was not doing well in algebra because she felt uncomfortable asking Ziegler for help, Kalina said.
Ziegler was placed on administrative leave, with pay, on Nov. 18.
Kalina testified that he would "absolutely" like to have Ziegler back in the classroom, but only if he met one condition: "That he stop talking about Jesus Christ."
"My opinion is Mr. Ziegler was hired to teach math," he said. "And math instruction must come first."
Ziegler testified that his faith was too strong to set it aside.
"What they are telling me to do is in direct contradiction to what my authority, my God, is telling all believers to do," Ziegler said.
He admitted that on some days he spent up to 10 minutes per class discussing religion, though school officials said they had reports of longer periods.
Jim Glover, the principal at Papillion-La Vista High School, said Ziegler wasn't the first teacher he'd seen with strong beliefs.
"Over the last 32 years, there have been a number who have struggled as Rob has struggled. All were able to eventually make the separation," he said.
School board member Jim Thompson said that in eight years on the board, the hearing was the "toughest" meeting he'd attended.
Thompson said he hoped Ziegler could find a teaching job where professing his faith is "not only legal, but encouraged."
Cassie Young, 16, a student in one of Ziegler's pre-algebra classes, was among several students who left the hearing teary-eyed after the board announced its decision.
Young said the decision was "one more way of kicking God out of school."
"The law of man is wrong, and one day everyone will know that," she said.
Based upon your previous call for diversity in education, I would interpret your answer to mean that you have no problem with your kids' math teacher preaching Islam, isolating students in the hall to bow to Mecca, etc. Thank you.
> I once listened to a Math professor tell a story in class of escaping Nazi Germany.
Did he make it a regular feature? Did he try to convert people to Judaism (or whatever)?
I would. I want my children to chose Christ because its true, not because its inherited. If some other religion can undermine their faith in Jesus then the claims made for and by Jesus are false and they should abandon them and adopt the other.
Your reasoning demonstrates the need to redouble our efforts regarding the Leave No Child Behind Act.
What good is it to pretend someone knows how to read when they don't comprehend what they read ? "Bless me, what do they teach them in these schools?"
I know I wouldn't because my religion,Christianity,would forbid it.As a Christian,he was doing his duty.I cannot fault him for that.If Jesus had only taught in the synagogues,many would not have heard his message.In fact,he chose to teach OUTSIDE of the establishment and didn't choose religious leaders as disciples.
With that said,we're also taught that all will not want to hear this message.We're to "shake the dust from our feet"(Luke 9:5)It appears as though this man has done just that.The school board has spoken.If the parents and students want him back,they can complain to the board or enroll in whichever school he finds a job.
My 3 youngest children are being homeschooled. We threw our TV away and don't let the kids play on the computer. We have Bible lessons first thing in the morning and guess what! My wife and I get to teach our kids exactly what we want and don't have to worry about getting fired!
Sorry. I must have misinterpreted your position. I will reverse my conclusion and state that you DO have a problem with your kids' math teacher preaching Islam to them in their math classes. Thank you.
aaarrrrggggh, aaaarrrgghhheeehhhheeee!
Must be one of those "watered down" religions clearsight was talking about.
"Best I remember, Ted Bundy never agreed to have killing college girls either. "
Oh, good greif, now you are comparing this guy to Bundy?
Can you just look at yourself?
How far backward will you bend over to accomodate secularists purging Christians?
Some believe that it is a religious organization of some kind, otherwise why would it have "Worshiping Elders"??? The hearts of to many people are the "Abode of Satan" Why would he (Satan) need a temple building??? mason or whatever???
CoC - Man, you are so ignorant. This guy is a MATH teacher using his time in which he is contractually obligated to teach MATH to ram his version of God down his student's throats.
JFK_Lib - You know he wasnt simply answering students questions HOW? Divine inspiration? You consulted your Ouija board or what?
Most likely you are just taking the secular medias word for it. Havent we learned not to do this yet, especially when it regards the church? Remember Wenatchee, dude.
CoC - You are only supporting him b/c he supports your religion...so get off the pedestal.
JFK_Lib - Actually, I am sure that this guy is not a Catholic, so you would seem to be batting 0 for two here, Mr Kreskin.
I'm not comparing him to Bundy. I'm saying that you don't rest on the accused admittance to the charge.
How far backward will you bend over to accomodate secularists purging Christians?
The better question is how far will you bend to try to find religious discrimination when in some cases it may not exist?
"Now good luck finding a single federal court that has ever upheld behavior equivalent to this teacher's."
Prior to the ACLUs war on Christianity in this country, this guy would have been the norm.
Have our schools gotten better since 1950 or worse?
Worse and mostly due to lack of class discipline and respect for the teachers authority.
"The Muslims aren't the religion being attacked in the U.S. They ARE allowed to preach the Koran but don't try preaching the Bible. Verboten!"
You are right but this mans critics want to pretend that Hindu would be fired for speaking about his faith, when there is no example of such anywhere and plenty of examples of Christians being fired.
This is just one more facet in the war on Christianity.
Your games are tiresome.
"Good! I'm glad this guy was fired. Serves him right. This is a MATH class not a Sunday school class."
Heh, and that one article is enough for you to make this decision?
Heheh, who needs Ceasar to persecute Christians when so many Christians just cant wait to put the lions in the arena themselves?
LOL!
Yep. And if Christians don't start standing up for our beliefs, the secular world will take care of it and we won't have any rights to stand up for.
"I am a Mason and a Baptist.
Must be one of those "watered down" religions clearsight was talking about."
I dont get some having such a problem with Freemasonry.
Sorry bout that Graybeard; Masons are great defenders of freedom and shouldnt be subject to such slander.
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