Brooke Bellah (Make up)

Student Sues Wisconsin School After Getting a Zero for Religious Drawing

A senior boy sued his school after he received a zero on an art assignment. The art teacher instructed the students to draw a landscape, and the boy added a cross with the words "John 3:16 a sign of love" next to it. The teacher then asked him to remove the cross, because some students had been making comments about it. When he refused, she showed him a contract he had signed earlier this year which said no student could include any violence, blood, sexual connotations, or religious beliefs in their artwork. The boy then grabbed the piece of paper and ripped it. He received two detentions for tearing the piece of paper, and the school will not comment on the lawsuit.

Opinion:

This story really upsets me. It says that other religious references are displayed throughout the campus, including a Buddhist statue and a Hindu deity. If these are allowed, then Christian artifacts should also be represented. I don't believe anyone can argue against this. It will be interesting to see how the court rules in this case. It also brings to question the idea that constitutional rights can be forfeited by signing a piece of paper (that you have to sign in order to take a class that you have to have to graduate). I personally do not believe this is right.

3rd Graders Plotted to Kill Teacher

A group of special education students in Georgia were apparently planning to kill their teacher, after she made one of them mad by punishing her for standing on a chair. One of the students told a school worker about the plan before the start of the school day, and the kids were stopped. Officials confiscated a steak knife, duct tape, handcuffs, ribbon and a crystal paperweight from the children. The students all had special needs which ranged from attention deficit disorder, delayed development, and hyperactivity. The students may be expelled, but officials are not sure they can be charged with anything, because of a state law which does not allow children under the age of 13 to be charged with a crime.

Opinion:

Third graders????Seriously? Some of this has to do with the fact the students had special needs (but ADD, come on) but I believe the amount of violence children are exposed to now contributed more. It says the each student had a job assigned to them, like blocking all windows so no one would witness, and a group of students who were designated to clean up the mess afterward. This is just creepy--I believe if the student's plot hadn't been exposed there is a good chance the teacher could have been killed. Georgia should change the rule about prosecuting children under thirteen. There are plenty of 11 and 12 year olds (and apparantly 8 year old third graders) who are capable of horrible crimes.