Popular Slideshows On CBS11TV.COM
Oct 16, 2009 9:49 pm US/Central
Students Claim Bible Abuse in Plano Schools
PLANO (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
It's been two years, but Shelby Evans of Plano remembers the day Gideon's Bibles were handed out at Renner Middle School.
"Right by the door where you enter and leave the cafeteria, there was a big table with orange bibles"
Evans, who is in high school now, was raised Jewish, but considers herself agnostic. She says the day the Bibles were handed out by a member of the Gideon's International, several classmates harassed her.
"'You're a Bible burner' they said. It's supposed to be diverse. Everyone is different, but it's not supposed to be confrontational."
Evans is one example cited in an
investigation by the ACLU of Texas The report examines the distribution of Bibles in Texas public schools. According to the ACLU, passing out Bibles not only violates the separation of church and state, but it's also a disruption in class. Evans agrees.
"I think a couple of people would fight and throw bibles at each other and hit each other with them. There were people writing on them and ripping out pages. Most of the teachers got so frustrated."
CBS 11 also talked to a former student at Vines High School in Plano. He did not want to be identified, but says some 200 bibles were left on a table outside the cafeteria. By days end, he claims students were ripping the pages out and playing football with them. The teenager says several students taunted him with the Bibles because he's Jewish.
CBS 11 also obtained e-mails from the principals of Frankford Middle School and Vines High School. In the e-mails to Plano district officials, both principals expressed concerns about the distribution of Bibles in their schools.
Despite the findings, critics say the ACLU's investigation should not stop freedom of speech.
"My concern is that the ACLU used to stand for free speech, but now they're standing for censorship and they're trying to add the Bible to their banned-books list" said Hiram Sasser with the Liberty Legal Institute
The ACLU says it launched its investigation in May after receiving numerous complaints. The report focuses on ten school districts throughout the state, but specifically identifies problems in the Frisco and Plano districts.
We contacted both Plano and Frisco ISD's last week and both said they were not ready to respond to the ACLU report.
However, Plano ISD did issue a statement Friday saying "Plano ISD school officials are continuing to study the ACLU report and will comment next week."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Recent Celebrity Deaths
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
