Tennessee School District Sued Over Ties to Evangelistic Crusade

FOX News via AP | 5/12/03 | Unknown

[Blood of Tyrants]

MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. — Every year, hundreds of Union County students take a field trip for the soul. Children are excused from class, loaded onto school buses with teachers and sent to a three-day Christian revival.

"I am going to ask you a question," an evangelical leader recently yelled to a sea of students ready for their field trip. "If you are glad to be here, say amen!"

With the ardor of a pep rally, the students shouted back: "AAAA-men!"

Not everyone is so enthusiastic.

Fourteen-year-old India Tracy said she was harassed and attacked by classmates for nearly three years after she declined to attend Baptist Pastor Gary Beeler's annual crusade because of her family's pagan religion.

Her family has filed a federal lawsuit against Union County schools, claiming the crusade, prayers over the loudspeaker, a Christmas nativity play, a Bible handout and other proselytizing activities in the rural school system have become so pervasive they are a threat to safety and religious liberty.

Union County officials say the system is neutral when it comes to religious activities, pointing out that the crusade is voluntary, teachers chaperone on their own time and school buses are operated by private contractors.

"We do not endorse, promote or prohibit it," said school spokesman Wayne Goforth.

District officials say the crusade, now in its sixth year, is like any other field trip, with parental permission required to let the children attend for two hours a day over three days. On the crusade's final day this year, April 30, more than 1,300 of the school system's 3,000 students attended.

"All local boards of education have the authority to allow students to voluntarily attend these types of events," said Christy Ballard, legal counsel to the Tennessee Department of Education.

But, she added, "it is very clear in the statute that they can't harass a student or coerce them to participate ... and, of course, they can't be school-sponsored."

Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center in Arlington, Va., said school officials and Christian leaders in Union County need a "crash course on the meaning of the First Amendment -- especially the part that separates church from state."

Beeler, 63, who lives and preaches in Union County, said he has been contacted by communities around the country wanting to set up similar crusades, and sees nothing wrong with children getting time off from school to attend them.

"The principals, the teachers, the bus drivers all have told us that they have less behavior problems after this crusade than they do before. So that tells us the positive effect," he said.

India said she was called "Satan worshipper" and accused of eating babies when it was revealed she was a pagan. She said she was taunted, found slurs painted over her locker and was injured when classmates assaulted her and slammed her head into the locker.

The lawsuit said school officials took no disciplinary action. In a May 2 legal response, school officials said they acted appropriately, denied the attacks happened, or said they were unaware of them.

Paganism is an ancient religious tradition that embraces kinship with nature, positive morality and the idea that there is both a female and male side of Deity.

After Christmas break in early 2002, India said three boys chased her down a hall at Horace Maynard Middle School, grabbed her by the neck and said, "You better change your religion or we'll change it for you."

She broke free and fled into the girls' bathroom. A teacher stopped the boys from following her, the lawsuit said.

"That was pretty much the last straw because she was terrified," said India's father, Greg Tracy.

The Tracys took India out of school on Feb. 26, 2002.

A straight-A student, she belonged to the leadership-service organization Beta Club, chess club, and band. She was the only girl on the middle school football team.

Now she takes Internet courses at home and hopes to transfer to a public school in Knoxville, 25 miles away.

"When was it too hard? I don't know," India said. "On a couple of occasions it was too hard and then it got easier and then it started getting bad again and I would come home bawling my eyes out."

[Blood of Tyrants]

"We do not endorse, promote or prohibit it," said school spokesman Wayne Goforth.

Sounds reasonable to me.

Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center in Arlington, Va., said school officials and Christian leaders in Union County need a "crash course on the meaning of the First Amendment -- especially the part that separates church from state."

Really? I must ahve a defective copy of the Constitution because mine has absolutely no mention of "seperation of church and state" in the First Amendment. or anywhere else for that matter.

After Christmas break in early 2002, India said three boys chased her down a hall .... A teacher stopped the boys from following her, the lawsuit said.

Looks like the teachers are protecting this girl. Why don't we just make a law requiring children to be nice to each other? That ought to solve everything, right?

[Tax-chick]

Are you suggesting that it's okay for students to assault one another over religious differences? I disapprove of this whole situation - and I'm an evangelical Christian - because it promotes the mob mentality that is already too much a part of schooling.

[Michael.SF.]

Fourteen-year-old India Tracy said she was harassed and attacked by classmates for nearly three years after she declined to attend Baptist Pastor Gary Beeler's annual crusade because of her family's pagan religion./i>

Pagan's, huh? Gee, that might not have anything to do with the kid being harassed now would it?

[Tax-chick]

Are YOU suggesting that it's acceptable for students to assault one another over religious differences?

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

No religion, pass out free condoms and clean needles, we know those things work.

[FreeLibertarian]

Bump For Later

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

Looks like the teachers are protecting this girl. Why don't we just make a law requiring children to be nice to each other? That ought to solve everything, right?

Apparently Blood of Tyrants hasn't read the part of the Bill of Rights that says you have the Freedom From Taunting.

It was dusted off from the Constitution by the Supreme Court in the 1960s. Those wise old sages also discovered after nearly 200 years of forgetting about the Right To Privacy line, as well as the Seperation of Church and State part too. Luckily activist Judges and Libertarians are here to protect our Constitutional rights.

[Missus]

My copy is defective, too. No church/state separation mentioned anywhere.

And, to clarify: Paganism is a made-up amalgamation of new-agey philosophies and nature worship. It does not have a "centuries old tradition." It's the ultimate no-hassle school of thought.

According to the article, only 1300 of the 3000 kids attended; how does she feel "persecuted" when over half of the students Didn't Go? It's not like 2999 kids went, and she didn't... over half did not go on the field trip, just like she didn't.

I'm rather wondering just what sort of snotty comments she's made to invite the persecution of her peers? Still, kudos to the teacher who defended her from bullies; bullying is never appropriate, though it happen routinely in the "Lord of The Flies Jr. High" settings.

Regards,

[whattajoke]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's nice to hear from an Evangelical Christian who understands these things. I am not christian and I couldn't have said it better myself (though I'd get way more flames for doing so).

By the way, anyone else find it funny the guy from the school was names, "Mr. Goforth?" As is, "Go forth and multiply."

[whattajoke]

And, of course, you'd have no problem with you kids being "encouraged" to go on a pilgrammage to Mecca for 3 days, right?

[Asclepius]

Paganism is an ancient religious tradition that embraces kinship with nature, positive morality and the idea that there is both a female and male side of Deity.

The moderns who call themselves "pagan" practice a tradition as ancient as microwave popcorn or diet cola beverages. Though they borrow heavily, these "pagans" are not the practitioners of any chthonic or animist or shamanist tradition.

[oyez]

Fourteen-year-old India Tracy said she was harassed and attacked

I have problems beleving that,.

[Zavien Doombringer]

If religion wasn't the reason, the harassment could be from the poor girl being a "nerd". After all, this is middle school. Where hormone induced emotions run rampant. Any Middle School teacher will tell you.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

No "separaton of church and state", besides, our Federal Government doesn't have a "state" status!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Never. She should be fully protected to practice her pagan religion as she see's fit, as long as it doesn't cause physical harm to another person. The schools should neither encourage nor discourage it. If one entire religion is disallowed because one child is 'uncomfortable' then ALL religons should be banned. But of course, you can't do that because the Constitution prohibits the state from making laws that prohibit the free exercise of religion. (Yea, right.)

But you cannot make children be nice to each other, you can only try to protect them all. Also, it seems that this girl is encouraged by her parents to be a "sore thumb", i.e. the fact that she was the only girl on the junior high football team. I would also bet that this girl is one of the "weird" ones.

Sorry, but while weird may be normal in LA or NY or Chicago, it doesn't play in Maynardville, TN.

[whattajoke]

I'll agree paganism is an amalgamation of wannabe's who simply demand attention with a loose set of rules, if any at all. But there is a history to it (or parts of it), much of which became basis for some of the more traditional religion's holidays.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Being a local, and hearing about this from both sides of the situation, I have my doubts about the story that India is telling. No, it's not ok for students to assault one another over religious differences - then again, it's not ok for someone to lie in order to receive preferential treatment. This isn't about religious freedom, it's about money.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

OK, you've tried to beat 2 strawmen on this thread on the same point, I think there is a limit. Would YOU please settle down Taxchick? I've never met these two and I'm quite certain they weren't suggesting that christian kids should target pagens for bullying.

As an unrelated point, I just thought it needed to be mentioned "oh my God! Would somebody PLEASE think about the children!!!"</sarcasm>

[Blood of Tyrants]

Or "Go forth and make disciples of all nations"...

[wideawake]

I would suggest that it's unacceptable for a student to make up lies about how other students assaulted her, just so she could get time off from school and so her parents could initiate a potentially lucrative lawsuit.

her story sounds like just that: a story.

Additionally, most "victims" of "hate crimes" turn out to be hoaxers.

[I still care]

Good catch. This student should not be bullied because of her religion, but kids are mean and taunt all the time about anything, from the color of your socks to the type of juice in your lunchbox. A pagan would stand out in this area like a neon light. It has nothing to do with the crusade, especially when over half the students didn't.