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Teachers Suspended Over Charge Of Sprinkling Holy Water On Colleague

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday's South Florida Times reports on the investigation of two reading teachers growing out of an incident at Blanche Ely High School in March. The two, who are Christian, are charged with bullying and harassment for sprinkling their colleague Schandra Rodriguez with holy water. Apparently the problem began when Rodriguez was having a boisterous discussion with her students about the January Haiti Earthquake. One student suggested that the earthquake was the wrath of God growing out of a supposed pact Haitian rebel leaders made with Satan in a voodoo ceremony over 200 years ago. Rodriguez, an atheist, responded by discussing with her students her lack of belief in God and the Bible. Overhearing the discussion, teachers Leslie Rainer and Djuna Robinson came into the room. A student said: "Sounds like somebody needs some holy water." At that point, Robinson, in the doorway, retrieved and displayed a small bottle of liquid, which Robinson's lawyer says was perfume. He says there was no sprinkling of water, and that Rodriguez's complaint may have been motivated by other issues. At any rate, while the investigation of the incident is pending, both Ranier and Robinson have been removed from the classroom, and Ranier has been demoted. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on May 23, 2010 (boomark / email).