Payton+Malone

Should public school faculty be allowed to express and tell their religious beliefs? My research project is about public school faculty and what they are allowed to do expressing their religious beliefs. The reason this topic is important because students watch and look up to teachers so it's important on what teachers are aloowed to tell. According to the first ammendment you should have the right to express yourself and your religious views. I hope from this project I will learn what teachers are allowed to express and what has happened in the past where faculty has broken these rules. This topic interests me because I am a christian; I hope to learn tons! Carnes, Tony. "Google Images." Google Images. N.p., 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. . Fuhrmann, Andreas. "Google Images." Google Images. N.p., 20 Oct. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. . Court Cases: Tinker v. Des Moines school district- Students at a school want to protest the Vientam War so they wore arm bands. They then got expelled for that, but later it was taken to a Supreme Court and the students won.
 * People who think teachers should be able to express their religion || People who do not think teachers should be able to express their religion ||
 * Others think it it is okay for teachers to express their religion since it is a First Amendment right to have an freedom of expression || Some people think it is not right for teachers to express their religious views becuase that could offend people and influence students ||
 * Another reason that some people believe it is okay is because religion is really important to most people so they feel it is okay to excercies their religon || Another reason some of the courts side with schools who sue teachers for religious expression is because of the Establishment Clause ||
 * Also a reason people think it is okay to express your religion is becuase in classes like history where religion comes in it is okay to tell your beliefs to || Also a reason some people think it is not right for teachers to express their religious views is because that is not what school is about but in places like churches it is exceptible ||

Roberts v. Madigan- A school district made a teacher remove two religious books from his classroom and to stop reading his bible during a silent reading time. He sued the school district for showing hostility toward religion and for violating his rights of freedom of speech and acedmic freedom; the court sided with the school district.

Downing v. West Haven Board of Education- School administrators ordered a teacher to remove or cover up her t-shirt that stated "JESUS 2000-J2K". She sued the Board of Education saying they violated her First Amendment rights but the court sided with the Board of Education saying they did not violate her First Amendment rights.

Mccollum v. Board of Education- A lady sued a school board for allowing private religious teachers to come in once a week to teach for thirty minutes. She lost and the school board won the case.

What I Think... I believe that teachers should be allowed to express their religion and beliefs, but to some extent. For example they cannot try to persuade someone or convert someone to their beliefs, but they should be allowed to state what they believe and pray silently etc. This quote shows what I believe with form the court case //Tinker v. Des Moines school distirct//: “It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

Works Cited

"Family Research Council." Advanced Search Page. Liberty Institute, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. "FindLaw | Cases and Codes." FindLaw | Cases and Codes. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. Haynes, Charles C. "A Teacher's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools." First Amendment Center. N.p., Mar. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. Hudson Jr., David L. "Teachers’ Religious Liberties." First Amendment Center. N.p., 16 Sept. 2002. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. "Religion in the Public Schools - Teachers' Religious Expression." Religion in the Public Schools - Teachers' Religious Expression. Anti-Defamation League, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2012. Smith, Samuel J. "Navigating Religious Rights of Teachers and." Christian Perspectives in Education. Liberty University, 11 Nov. 2007. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. "U.S. Supreme Court." FindLaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012.