I couldn't wait until next week for this one....
An Iowa shop teacher who refused to allow a student to build a Wiccan altar in class has been placed on leave in a flap over religious freedom of expression.
Dale Halferty, who has taught industrial arts at Guthrie Center High School in Guthrie, Iowa, for three years, admits he forbade the student to construct an altar dedicated to the religion as part of a class assignment, The Des Moines Register reports.
Wicca is known as the modern form of witchcraft and typically involves the worship of multiple gods.
A 20-year veteran of the classroom, Halferty asserts that he was well within his rights to prevent the teen from building the structure, which he says poses a threat to the separation of church and state. He previously prevented another student from building a cross in the class.
"... This kid was practicing his religion during class time, and I don't agree," Halferty tells the Register. "I don't want any religious symbols in the shop. We as Christians don't get to have our say during school time, so why should he?"
The student in question reportedly told the teacher that he is, indeed, a practicing witch. Halferty tells the Register he initially permitted the student to build the altar, on the condition that the teen keep any religious materials out of the classroom. However, Halferty says, the boy continued to bring a book about witchcraft to class.
The teacher re-evaluated his decision to allow the altar's construction and recanted his permission, deciding it "was wrong on every level."
"It scares me. I'm a Christian," Halferty tells the Register. "This witchcraft stuff -- it's terrible for our kids. It takes kids away from what they know, and leads them to a dark and violent life. We spend millions of tax dollars trying to save kids from that."
The school district begs to differ with Halferty, and points to several district policies -- and some at the state and federal level -- that prohibit religious discrimination, no matter what faith a student practices or how he or she chooses to express that faith in classroom assignments. Superintendent Steve Smith and Principal Garold Thomas have placed Halferty on leave while they confer with the district attorney.
The debate is causing some raw emotions among the 185 Guthrie Center students who say they do not want "witchcraft" practiced in their school. A petition circulated in late February stating as such garnered at least 70 signatures, the Register reports.
Ben Stone, the executive director of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, says this appears to be a clear-cut case of religious discrimination.
"The teacher may have good intentions. It's a learning process," Stone tells the Register. "But he needs to respect that students can exercise their religious viewpoints within the context of an assignment."
Dale Halferty, who has taught industrial arts at Guthrie Center High School in Guthrie, Iowa, for three years, admits he forbade the student to construct an altar dedicated to the religion as part of a class assignment, The Des Moines Register reports.
Wicca is known as the modern form of witchcraft and typically involves the worship of multiple gods.
A 20-year veteran of the classroom, Halferty asserts that he was well within his rights to prevent the teen from building the structure, which he says poses a threat to the separation of church and state. He previously prevented another student from building a cross in the class.
"... This kid was practicing his religion during class time, and I don't agree," Halferty tells the Register. "I don't want any religious symbols in the shop. We as Christians don't get to have our say during school time, so why should he?"
The student in question reportedly told the teacher that he is, indeed, a practicing witch. Halferty tells the Register he initially permitted the student to build the altar, on the condition that the teen keep any religious materials out of the classroom. However, Halferty says, the boy continued to bring a book about witchcraft to class.
The teacher re-evaluated his decision to allow the altar's construction and recanted his permission, deciding it "was wrong on every level."
"It scares me. I'm a Christian," Halferty tells the Register. "This witchcraft stuff -- it's terrible for our kids. It takes kids away from what they know, and leads them to a dark and violent life. We spend millions of tax dollars trying to save kids from that."
The school district begs to differ with Halferty, and points to several district policies -- and some at the state and federal level -- that prohibit religious discrimination, no matter what faith a student practices or how he or she chooses to express that faith in classroom assignments. Superintendent Steve Smith and Principal Garold Thomas have placed Halferty on leave while they confer with the district attorney.
The debate is causing some raw emotions among the 185 Guthrie Center students who say they do not want "witchcraft" practiced in their school. A petition circulated in late February stating as such garnered at least 70 signatures, the Register reports.
Ben Stone, the executive director of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, says this appears to be a clear-cut case of religious discrimination.
"The teacher may have good intentions. It's a learning process," Stone tells the Register. "But he needs to respect that students can exercise their religious viewpoints within the context of an assignment."
14 comments:
I completely understand where Dave Halerty is coming from since i am a christian myself, but on the other hand the boy has his right to choose what religion he wants to express. Because of freedom of religion. Even if it scares you or you think it is wrong the boy still is entitled to express the religion that he want to.
I agree with the state district on account of racial discrimination. Mr.Halferty denied the freedom of religion from the student. The teacher was biased in his decision to restrict the student from building his alter because of his personal beliefs. If the student was Christian and was constructing a cross, I think Mr.Halferty would have a very different opinion.
Wow, that teacher is a hardcore Christian...Just because the little kid wanted to build a shrine to Wicca doesn't mean he is going to anything bad in the future. We all make bad choices no matter what religion we are in. I have several friends that are into Wicca and they are cool, a little creepy at times but still cool. I might want to look into the Wicca gods just to see what they look like...
I think the teacher was right to not allow the student to make that. Its wierd. But at least the teacher was fair by not allowing the other student to make a cross.
I'm glad that he also forbade someone to make a cross and not just the Wiccan alter. That means he seems to be playing fair. However, it looks to me that he prohibited the student from making the alter mainly due to fear and not being educated about the Wiccan religion. But in the end, I don't see the big deal about making religious symbols in shop class; as long as the finished project wasn't forced upon anyone during school hours
If Halferty truly believes in the separation of church and state, why would he allow a Wiccan alter to be built in the first place, if, in the past, he hadn't allowed a cross to be made?
Halferty's comments make it apparent that he doesn't like Wiccan beliefs, which makes one think his actions were actually a form of discrimination.
I think the student has to right to make anything he wants as long as he doesn't preach to the whole school. The teacher needs to respect the students beliefs without discriminating them.
This teacher makes an excellent point when speaking of Religious freedom in the classroom. If Christians and other religious denominations are denied classtime, why should Wicca be any different? The only reason people are going berserk is because he's inhibiting a Wiccan and not a Christian. If the nation thinks its unconstitutional to bring your religion to the class, then Wiccan followers should be held accountable as well.
Although I agree with the teacher in the view that witchcraft is freaky, this case is an undeniable example of religeous discrimination. This strange witch/shop class lover hybrid kid has the right to express his beliefs and ideas at school no matter how strange they are.
"'It scares me. I'm a Christian,' Halferty tells the Register. 'This witchcraft stuff -- it's terrible for our kids. It takes kids away from what they know, and leads them to a dark and violent life. We spend millions of tax dollars trying to save kids from that.'" I have to admit, until I read that part, I was somewhat on Halfery’s side. He did after all, tell another kid that he couldn’t make a cross. However, after reading about Halferty’s opionion about wiccans, I now think this is a case of religious discrimination. I wouldn’t be uncomfortable about having a wiccan in my shop class, as long as they didn’t try to push it, and the kid didn’t do that.
That's hilarious... "It scares me. I'm a Christian,"; close minded people are amusing. You're a high school teacher and this scares you? As far as we know, the student wasn't pushing his beliefs on anyone, simply expressing them. The student was not outwardly practicing his religion and is clearly being discriminated against.
I think that Dale Halferty was right to not that kid make his Wiccan altar. Even though they say we have a freedom of speech there is a limit of what we can say about our religion without it becoming an issue. "I don't want any religious symbols in the shop. We as Christians don't get to have our say during school time, so why should he?" I believe that there is nothing wrong with what Mr. Halferty did and he should not have been placed on leave.
I completely agree with Ben Stone.Halferty over did it,although he is so into his religious values as a christian doesnt mean he can banish other religions in his class.This is part of the students project and he shoud have authority on how he wants to complete it."we as Christians don't get to have our say during school time,so why should he" what Halferty said was just being childish,he is the grown adult in this case and does not need to be whining and throwing a fit towards a student.let the student be.
I agree with the majority of those quoted in this article, who call this teacher's actions religious discrimination. Although he thinks that allowing this student to build his alter violates the separation of church and state, he is stepping in and stopping the expression of religion as a state employee. He is preventing religious expression in an attempt to inhibitthe spreading of a philosophy with which he himself is uncomfortable. But that's not exactly a lawful reason to violate freedom of expression, is it?
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