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Tag: Kindergartner praying

  • Kindergartner Praying Controversy Headed To Court?

    The controversy surrounding whether or not an Carillon Elementary teacher stopped a five-year-old from praying is now the subject of a lawsuit.

    It’s a turn of events that isn’t too surprising given what’s at the heart of the matter.

    Marcos and Kathy Perez of Oviedo, Flordia are claiming that their young daughter Gabriella was getting ready to say grace when a teacher approached her. She was apparently instructed not to pray and told that prayer is “not good”.

    The event was alleged to have occurred on or around March 10th. A video was uploaded to Youtube on March 25th which details what Gabriella’s parents have said is her version of events.

    Prior to the video being uploaded, Marcos Perez said that he had emailed Carillon Elementary Principal Analynn Jones to complain about what had happened.

    Officials launched an investigation in the wake of the controversy and they say that none of the teachers or cafeteria workers recall the incident.

    Perez isn’t surprised by the continued denials because as he puts it, he “didn’t expect anyone to step forward and take blame.”

    The family is being represented by the Texas-based Liberty Institute law firm.

    Lawyer Jeremiah Dys accused the principal at Carillon Elementary of “pretty much dismiss[ing] this”.

    The parents are suing in order to get an apology to their child and a more serious investigation of the matter by Carillion Elementary. They also desire the adult responsible to no longer be a teacher at the school.

    Perez and his wife have admitted that they will likely home-school their daughter.

    There is another aspect of the suit that is somewhat to blame for lingering doubt as to the authenticity of the claims being made.

    Perez decided to post the video about the event because he “felt like this is a story that’s important and people needed to hear.” It’s also suggested that the suit is meant to shed light on an anti-prayer and anti-Christian agenda allegedly found in America’s schools.

    It’s almost as if the entire situation could be taken from the pages of God Less America: Real Stories From the Front Lines of the Attack on Traditional Values. The book is being promoted by the company Perez works for and was written by Fox News host Todd Starnes.

    It was Starnes who helped the story gain national attention by covering the it on Fox News Radio. Perez was even interviewed about the matter.

    Perez said he did the interview because he is “passionate about the cause.”

    The promotion of an alleged anti-Christian agenda in schools or demanding justice for his wronged daughter: Which is the “cause” in question?

    According to Perez, he is fighting for his daughter’s First Amendment rights. He also resents any insinuation of an ongoing publicity stunt.

    “I’m a father first, a VP of sales second.”

    The school maintains that they’ve never denied children the ability to pray and that this has since been emphasized as the story has garnered considerable attention.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kindergartner Praying: Parents Taking it to Court

    Hoax or not, the parents of a Florida kindergartner — who claims she was told to stop praying before her lunch — are suing Seminole County Public Schools as a result of the alleged incident.

    According to 5-year-old Gabriella Perez, she was told to stop praying by one of the Kindergarten teachers on duty when she sat down to lunch. School officials rebuke the allegation, saying there is no basis for the claim.

    Marcos Perez, Gabriella’s father, posted a video on YouTube early last week featuring his daughter talking about the alleged incident.

    “The lunch teacher said, ‘You’re not allowed to pray. I said, ‘It’s good to pray. She said, ‘It’s not good,” Gabriella said in the YouTube video.

    School principal Analynn Jones told Gabriella’s parents none of his staff members had any memory of the incident and added, “We don’t have a policy against student prayer at all.”

    Gabriella’s mother, Kathy Perez, believes what her daughter says is the truth.

    “She wanted to pray, but she’s a rule-follower. I told her she did the right thing. I don’t doubt for a minute that my daughter is telling the truth,” she said.

    The family’s lawyer, Jeremiah Dys, of the Liberty Institute of Plano, Texas, told reporters they will fight this particular battle in court unless the school offers a letter of apology by April 7.

    “The principal has pretty much dismissed this. Saying a 5-year-old cannot pray over her chicken nuggets and mac-and-cheese isn’t in line with the Constitution,” said Dys.

    There have been some question as to the veracity of the little girl’s claim.

    Michael Lawrence, a school spokesman, said staff was told by the principal that there were no rules against prayer following the incident. Lawrence says school officials are considering the possibility that Gabriella may have misinterpreted something.

    Image via YouTube