School Official Heard Claiming Constitutional Rights Don’t Apply
For a lot of high school students, the Constitution is about as dry a subject as you can get. But not for some kids in Boca Raton, FL.
Students at the Spanish River High School in this Miami suburb show an interest in Constitutional rights — especially when they are taken away right under their noses. Members of the American Club there were surprised that Christian speaker/musician Bradlee Dean was kicked off of their school’s property over Dean’s conservative views, even though Dean had been invited weeks before under the approval of the school’s administration.
“I was surprised that a teacher … or someone who worked at the school, was telling the students that we’re not supposed to uphold the Constitutional values given by our Founding Fathers while on school property,” a student said after Dean was kicked off school property. The student’s comments are recorded on a YouTube video chronicling the incident:
Exiled to the roadside
This is the kind of student most teachers want — someone who is passionately interested in the subject. The other students in the club were no doubt just as fascinated, as they sat on the grass afterwards just off the school property to hear Dean’s talk.
But Dean’s talk was too politically incorrect, in the eyes of Principal William Latson and his cohorts at Spanish River. Latson ignored the fact that Dean had been invited by the school’s club (which has invited other conservative speakers, including entertainer Victoria Jackson) and that Dean’s appearance was approved and announced on the school’s PA system that week.
“Controversial” and “Anti-Homosexuality”
Halfway through the event, it was shut down by the principal, who cited “controversial statements” and the “anti-homosexuality” of Dean’s group “Sons of Liberty.” (Disclosure: Sons of Liberty is a client of our firm, TreeFrogClick.) One official told the group that the Constitution “does not apply to school property,” and that neither the Club nor the speakers had any First Amendment rights.
What? The Constitution does not apply to public school property, and First Amendment rights are squashed? Sounds like these school officials have put their institution in the same category as a prison, or a school in a communist country.
And anyone who believes in traditional morality, such that homosexual acts are inherently disordered — runs the risk of being trotted off school grounds.
Dismantle Beliefs
To make it clear, America, most public schools — or should I say government schools — are doing their utmost to dismantle students’ beliefs that families should be led by a mom and dad, and not by two men or two women who are sexually involved with one another. If you aren’t sure what’s going on, find out what kind of sex education, field trips to Planned Parenthood, and “anti-bullying” programs that are a mask for the homosexual agenda are going on at your school.
Dean and his group did not play dead over the eviction but got ahold of their lawyers, who have threatened an injunction and federal legal action if Dean is not allowed to speak on campus.
Liberty Council lawyer Horatio G. Mihet said, “We see serious constitutional problems with the principal censoring religious and political expression simply because they are deemed ‘offensive,’ especially when there are no specific, articulable facts to support such an assertion. Federal law, including the Constitution, protects the right of student clubs to present their ideas without fear of censorship because of disagreement with the content of the message.”
“Viewpoint Discrimination”
Liberty Council’s letter to the school cited a U.S. Supreme Court case, Good News Clubs v. Milford Central School District, which reaffirmed that Milford Central must open its facilities, under New York law, for public use by district residents during non-school hours, even if the club is religious in nature.
And here’s a phrase from that case that we can aptly apply to the Boca Raton situation: Justice Antonin Scalia said that Milford was performing “viewpoint discrimination.”
So, we Americans pay taxes for a near-monopolistic school system within which we have lost our rights to discuss moral or Christian topics — and, oh, yes — throw in believing our own Constitution as well.
America, be ever vigilant.
(Read the article “Rocker Bradlee Dean Kicked Off Campus — Again!” and lawyers’ urgent letter on Dean’s blog.)
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Christians, WAKE UP. Our rights as protected under the U.S. Constitution are under vicious attack. If we don’t fight this, we will lose ALL of our freedoms, if we haven’t already. These anti-constitution, anti-Christian teachers should not be allowed in our schools as long as they violate our free speech rights.
Soooooo, The Truth Hurts?
WHAT?
The communists said long ago if they could take over our schools that they would win, I looks like they never stopped trying to destroy this country. I find it disturbing that in many school districts a few people set the tone of what is curriculum despite the fact they live off of public in large.
Schools like government, they both tax and spend, schools are mostly overstaffed and can’t seem to resist buying things that do not contribute to teaching, in fact they would prefer if they where just monitors of devices that can teach our children. For this work force of part time worker drawing full time pay they have a lot of nerve brainwashing our children into what is right and wrong, that is left up to the parents. Academic should be the only thing focused on but they fail in that regards.
It is these same people who determine how much you should pay in taxes to support them, they follow no rules, exercise no restraint on spending or how our children are educated. Not only is there growing decent with government we should also focus on our school system because they are causing us to look in their direction.
[[[ “I was surprised that a teacher … or someone who worked at the school, was telling the students that we’re not supposed to uphold the Constitutional values ]]]
uummm… wonder if he/she is from Russia? What constitution are we to uphold…. ‘Obama’s Greed’ what ever that is ????
Christians are a majority in this country…or well…they used to be….Why is it that these Minorities are ruling our country and what our Govt and Schools do pertaining to OUR religion? Why is it that WE are not doing anything to stop this? Maybe if we not only PRAYED for this kind of things to stop..that maybe we could actually DO something. I no longer have children in school…I have grand kids in school and one daughter is a teacher…IF our schools here did what this one did I would be gathering the parents together and would be at EVERY school board meeting…I would be against more taxes no matter WHAT the board said until they honored the Constitution and quit catering to minorities that don’t believe…God teaches us to go out and spread HIS word…He teaches us that we must stand our ground no matter the consequences. If you truly believe in God and His Word..you must not let these people get away with what they are doing! Thank God I live in a community that respects God,, Country, and the Constitution!
This is no longer America, rather The new republic of Socialist Society of Liberals. America has fallen prey to the communist and a shot was never fired. Sound familiar, it should as that was said some 50 years ago.
I would seem that our “dear leader’ being a christian (so he says) that he would at least have something to say on this/
No because there was no black kids involved. He only comes to the aid of black people needing defense. ie. Susan Rice, Eric Holder, New Black Panthers, Trayvon Martin.
Furthermore, they are speaking out against homosexuality which goes against Obama’s agenda. So of course he will not defend their constitutional rights to free speech, nor defend their right to religious belief. The only people that have constitutional rights and are free to express them are those who are inline with Obama and the liberals agenda. Everyone elses’s rights are void and null.
These leftist police goons running our schools need a good dose of the law as embodied in our Constitution shoved into them where the sun never shines in the form of an industrial strength enema. Maybe then their ears will be cleaned out where they can hear and be forced to acknowledge the truth. Alternate that as necessary with regular shock treatments until they agree to obey the law, the Constitution, and cease their tyranny.
In my class, religion was discussed freely. Teaching of Christians, Jewish, Catholic, etc. One question I could not answer was If Mary is Jesus’ Mother, the who is God’s mother. Understand these were 7-8 graders, they did the discussing, I moderated. More than one student brought their Bible to school. This was supposed to have been a free hour to catch up on Basic Concepts in Math, English, Science and for those needing reading help. The students were more involved in discussing religions than doing studying. The rule was, Academics are first, if you are passing then feel free to join the discussion group. No parent ever showed up to sue, and I know the students consulted with the parents. Then last few weeks of school, a coordinator saw what was happening. He wanted it stopped, the students very respectfully told him they had all work done, this was free time and the would use it the way they wanted. He blustered and humphed and went to board. Thank goodness students showed great growth in academics, and had that to show to board. Best class I ever taught and moderated. I was of course reprimanded, and told I would be evaluated every month the next year. I agreed that was what I wanted done, I had nothing to hide. COME ON IN.
Patriotism and American History hour was so easily taught, the students were grouped and made a bulletin board about their assigned topic, Constitution, BIll of Rights, Flag Respect, Declaration of Independence. Some of those bulletin boards could be teaching a few Congress people about these important documents, those kids got into using the actual text and adding pictures to show what each amendment meant. Loved that year, resigned due to hassle daily from coordinator, superintendent. My Principal was full force behind me and my methods