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By Todd Starnes
An honors student in Fort Worth, TX, was sent to the principal’s office and punished for telling a classmate that he believes homosexuality is wrong.
Holly Pope said she was “absolutely stunned” when she received a telephone call from an assistant principal at Western Hills High School informing her that her son, Dakota Ary, had been sent to in-school suspension.
“Dakota is a very well-grounded 14-year-old,” she told Fox News Radio noting that her son is an honors student, plays on the football team and is active in his church youth group. “He’s been in church his whole life and he’s been taught to stand up for what he believes.”
And that’s what got him in trouble.
Dakota was in a German class at the high school when the conversation shifted to religion and homosexuality in Germany. At some point during the conversation, he turned to a friend and said that he was a Christian and “being a homosexual is wrong.”
Student Suspended for Saying Gay Is Wrong: MyFoxDFW.com
“It wasn’t directed to anyone except my friend who was sitting behind me,” Dakota told Fox. “I guess [the teacher] heard me. He started yelling. He told me he was going to write me an infraction and send me to the office.”
Dakota was sentenced to one day in-school suspension – and two days of full suspension. His mother was flabbergasted, noting that her son had a spotless record, was an honor student, volunteered at his church and played on the school football team.
Officials at the high school did not return calls for comment. However, the Fort Worth Independent School District issued a statement that read:
“As a matter of course, Fort Worth ISD does not comment on specific employee or student-related issues. Suffice it to say that we are following district policy in our review of the circumstances and any resolution will likewise be in accordance with district policy.”
After a meeting with Pope and her attorney, the school rescinded the two-day suspension so Dakota would be allowed to play in an upcoming football game.
“They’ve righted all the wrongs,” said Matt Krause, an attorney with the Liberty Counsel. “This should have no lasting effect on his academic or personal record going forward.”
Pope contacted the Liberty Counsel immediately after her son was punished.
“I told the school that he should never have been suspended for exercising his Constitutional rights,” Krause told Fox News Radio. “The principal is sincere in trying to do the right thing and hopefully they will tell the teacher, ‘Do not do that anymore.’ He won’t be pushing his agenda.”
Krause called the incident “mind blowing” and said the teacher had frequently brought homosexuality into ninth grade classroom discussions.
“There has been a history with this teacher in the class regarding homosexual topics,” Krause said. “The teacher had posted a picture of two men kissing on a wall that offended some of the students.”
Krause said the picture was posted on the teacher’s “world wall.”
“He told the students this is happening all over the world and you need to accept the fact that homosexuality is just part of our culture now,” Krause said.
The school district would not comment on why a teacher was discussing homosexuality in a ninth grade German class.
“In German class there should be no talk of being pro-Gay or homosexual topics,” Krause said.
Dakota’s mother said she believes the teacher should apologize.
“He should never have been punished,” Pope said. “He didn’t disrupt the class. He wasn’t threatening. He wasn’t hostile. He made a comment to his friend and the teacher overheard it.”
“My son knows people that are homosexual,” she said. “He’s not saying, ‘I don’t like you.’ He’s saying, ‘I’m a Christian and I believe that being that way is wrong.’”
Krause said school leaders told Dakota that in the future he should be careful when and where he talks about his opposition to homosexuality – suggesting that he talk about such matters in the hallway instead of the classroom.
He said Liberty Counsel will monitor the situation to make sure there is no future retaliation. Meantime, Pope said her son will return to the teacher’s classroom.
“I’ve told him to treat this teacher with respect,” she said. “He is your elder. He is your teacher. What his beliefs are or what they are not – outside the school is none of our business.”
Are you kidding me. Why isn't this teacher fired yet. Why isn't the principal fired yet for allowing the teacher to post pictures of homosexual men on the website. Very offended by the pictures of homosexual men. This is our children people. When are we going to wake up and say that is enough of your gayness being in my face. We have the complete and total right to say that we don't agree with homosexuaity. Good for you, Dakota. God Bless.
I agree with the mother. Her son is not saying he does not like the people he knows that are gay, but he has every right to say anywhere he wants that he , being a Christian, believes that being gay is wrong. This is so sad! I am tired of giving all the rights to the gays and we, as Christians, who believe being gay is NOT right, are ridiculed and punished for our beliefs. I was an educator for 31 years and am shocked that this teacher was not reprimanded for what he said in his classroom and that Dakota was not allowed to state his opinion! Yes, it is his right to say what he feels: FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN U.S.A.!
This teacher is yet another example of Satin's Useful idiot!
Are we sending out children to school to learn to think and reason, or just to be programmed or brainwashed into believing what the current social system deems proper and acceptable? The teacher started this by discussing the subject and posting the photo of two men kissing. The student had a right to voice his opinion. If his opinion is opposite from that of the teacher, the teacher should feel happy that the student has learned how to think for himself. Unless of course, his main goal is not to teach students how to think for themselves, but to accept his own agenda he is pushing with all his might. Your tax dollars pay these people's salaries. No parent should allow any personal agenda of any kind to be forced upon their children.
Reading through the comments made me sad. It is hard to believe that so much hate and ignorance can so easily pour out the mouths of fellow Americans. While I believe the teacher could have taken a more proactive approach in teaching his students that we are all equal, no matter race, religion, gender, and yes even sexual orientation, the responses shown here are a sad reminder at how far we still have to go as nation. Hopefully this young man will learn that intolerance is the true crime here.
This is getting ridiculous. Homosexuals are starting to compare themselves with the African American rights movement. I am a white Christian, but I am all for African American rights. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that being black is a sin, but it does say homosexuality is a sin. Skin color can be traced in genes, sexual preference cannot. God help America…
Note that fascist means right-wing and therefore conservative. Too bad most of the above cannot spell.
Wonder what would happen if you posted an image of people at the prayer wall or put an image of the Bible next to the image of the two men kissing.
All I have to say is that he should have freedom of speech.
Isn't this an obvious case of the State punishing a person for their religious beliefs? Does this not obviously violate the 1st and 14th Amendments to the US Constitution? Something tells me the ACLU won't take up his case.
Do the teachers at this school wear brown shirts?
1 Corinthians 6:9– Doyou not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor HOMOSEXUALS, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers shall inherit the kingdom of God
I don't know that the teacher and principal should be fired, but I think they should both be repremanded and the teacher should be made to take the picture down. He should also be warned that any further discussion of homosexuality in a German classroom will be deemed unacceptable and he will suffer the consequences. Also, he should be monitored for the rest of the year to make sure he does not retaliate against the student. I think the family should demand the preceding, and if the Ft. Worth ISD refuses, then the family should consult legal counsel.
A thorough reading of the King James Version of the Holy Bible, at the appropriate reference spot(s) clrarly state it is a sin for a man to have sexual relations with another man, likewise it is reported there also that it is a sin for a woman to have sex relations with another woman. Look it up, and then terminate the teacher of this German Class. Afterall, a separation of Church and State does not permit teachers to insists their students dis-obey The Holy Bible..
This sounds incomplete. I wonder what fox left out of the story.
I think the parents should sue the school in order to make a big whopping point that Christians also have freedom of speech. Personally, I will tell everyone I know about this story, I am calling the school district, and I am sending the boy a reward (money) for standing for what he believes in. And by the way, in my school district the teacher would have been fired for posting a pic of two men kissing. I would be sickened if my children has to look at that in the hallways.
This and other things are not going unnoticed by God.That is why this country , and the whole world is in the condition it is now.God is watching.
Robert Moore
This and other things are not going unnoticed by God.That is why this country , and the whole world is in the condition it is now.God is watching.
It is amazing how our law makers defend homosexuality, illegal immigrants, abortion, & any thing else that is wrong. krushev (don't know if it's spelled right) was right. He said America would be defeated without firing a shot, it would destroy itself. Well he was right, & it is partly our faults, for not paying attention to what the corrupt politicians at the Federal & State levels were doing. Long time Incumbants have to be voted out.
The issue here is not homosexuality. The issue is the First Amendment to the Constitution. Bringing up the subject of homosexuality in Germany would be the teacher's right. The student, however, should have been listening instead of talking. His beliefs are not the issue. His talking is class should be.
PaualNYC your obviously an ignorant bigot. I'm not a lesbian but have no problems with gay men or lesbians. They should all have equal rights. It is not a sickness.
It doesn't matter if you don't believe in homosexuality being wrong if your Christian. Your entitled to your opinion but I think you can go too far with it. I'm for marriage between same sex after all who does it really hurt…..NO ONE. And if you are going recite the bible don't bother. I'm not a believer (and no I don't have a problem with people who believe in god).
However I do believe the teacher should be fired as the boy had a right to his opinion especially since the teacher was voicing his.
It is pleasing to read such a lot of support for this young man. He did right in the eyes of Jesus and thats all thats important, praise our Father for this outspoken youn man of integrity who understands the truth.
The consolation will be rewards in heaven for him we pray.
The evil being expoused in schools and around the social scenes of worldy people is going to be judged by Him who is all truth hallelujah.
Exactly why I'm an atheist. Though I believe the teacher should be fired and the boy has a right to his opinion as long as it's done sensibly. I don't believe if God existed he'd promote bigotry.
Definately agree that the school went overboard there; unless the boy was expressing overly homophobic comments, he should have had the right to express his opinion.
However, for those saying the teacher was pushing a homosexual 'agenda' on the students, sounds to me like he was simply trying to teach tolerance and acceptance to them. Its not like they were too young for it, the kid was 14 and had obviously considered the issue just like any other person in that grade probably. Lets face it, every authority figure, whether it be a parent, teacher, politician etc tries to do so.
He is entitled to his unproven belief. However, if he is allowed to spew such non-sense in school, then it the teachers' duty to set the class right with scientific information and correct that view.
What a weirdo — where does science intrude on the topic???
public school!!
The teacher should be fired. Why don't they give up trying to cause people to accept their perversion??
You can read exactly what the homosexual movement is up to by reading their propagandist deception manifesto schemed during a homosexual extremist political war conference in Warenton Virginia.
Google "Overhauling Straight America" or the followup fill blown psy-ops agenda manifesto titled "After ht eBall, How american will Overcome It's Fear and Hatred of Gays".
This war conference is where the "born that way" technique was born, even though it's authors admitted that wasn't truthful. Gee, do homosexuals now claim they were born that way?
They also came up with using "anti-discrimination as our theme". Gee, do homosexuals do that now?
They schemed that homosexuals should cast themselves as victims. Sound familiar?
They stated homosexuals need to use an asociative negative conditioning tactic called "jamming" where all political opposition was to be called bigots, homophobes, etc. You know the scripted drill.
Then also stated that homosexuals need to desensitize society to homosexuals by first downplaying their pedophilia problem, downplaying their deviant, bizarre sexual acts, and instead talk about homosexuality in a neutral way till eventually society was desensitized.
They stated "Hollywood is our best covert weapon" where we can "insert a Trojan Horse". Gee, does Hollywood have lots of homosexual themed media? Glee, L Channel, Philadephia Experiment, Ellen Show,
Brokeback Mountain, etc, etc.
Maybe you would like to read a psyops propaganda manifesto for homosexual school teachers to brainwash little kids into the homosexual lifestyle? No problem, GLESEN will sell you one of their perverse books titled "Queering Elementary Education".
I too believe this learned lifestyle ( said to be" inborned" very true- borned of the enemie-SATAN ) to be wrong. And the young man certain has a right to stand up and declared this act to be wrong. There are great consequences to standing up against this practice thou. I was given a lower grade in college by my professor after reviewing a student's paper. Her paper detailed her preference for this sick behavior. I am very concerned with those people who are adopting children. Do society not know that these children are being raised to accept and adopt the lifestyles of their sick foster parents? Even thou, we may be ridicule and called judgemental, like the young man, I too will always stand up and say that this act is very wrong. God helps us all as this world is doom to be destroyed as the city of evil( men with men, women with women) was before our time. Now there is a show called "Fall Guy" that comes on television. This show depict this evil sin. As I have said before, this world as we know it is doom, if we don't stand against this evil work. The teacher should have been fired. And he should never teach in another class room in America.
Yes he should be fired but only for voicing his opinion but not allowing the student to voice his. Though I sure do hope u r not a teacher as I wouldn't want someone teaching my child to be a bigot or a racist etc etc.
My message did not make the board discussion and I would like to know the reason why!…
The teacher and the principal should be fired!!!!!! The teacher for what he did and the principal for allowing it.
I don't believe any teacher has the right to repremand a student where Morality is concerned. Is the teacher offended when someone says it is wrong to honor your father and Mother? Homosexuality is against Nature. Nature requires reproduction. Homosecuals do nor procreate. So, the premeise is incorrect that you cannot be offended by homosexuality. The man made laws can be wrong–natuarl laws are invoolatge. Ant teacher that doesn't understand that shold be FIRED–as should the Principoal that supports such illogical behavior.
That person in a TEACHER's position is not a TEACHER–He is a Nazi., (Who were known for their homosexual Acitvities in the german Military during WWII. I am now 89 years old–I can't believe the authority tgaken by a supposed TEACHER. If the student is incorrect, let the teacher explain why-and EACH the class why we have Freedome of Speach. Puting a cross in a glass of urine is not Freedom Of speech- not even freedom of expression. When will english be used properly? It is freedom of stupidity, arrogance, ill mannered, and immoral.
Blows my mind. You can be anything but Christian in this country. I guess we should all hide in our closets. RIGHT NOW THERE IS A MAN IN IRAN WILLING TO DIE FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN. I think of that, and I am inspired, (but of course hope it doesn't happen).
Regardless of what you believe about rightness or wrongness of homosexuality, it shouldn't be discussed in a German class or any class that isn't a sex ed discussion. As a teacher myself, students have tried to bait me to get me to say what I believe about different topics such as homosexuality and that just opens the door to Pandora's box. Kids are naturally curious about what their teachers believe about social issues, especially at the high school level. You can't use your position as a teacher to push your views one way or the other. It's just so much easier to simply say that those topics don't have a place in the subject you teach. History and social srudies teachers have it harder, but with careful planning they too can promote discussion without advocating for one group over another whether it's about gun rights, religion, abortion etc. As a relatively rare conservative educator, I responded in general to comments that deeply offended me by students and colleagues by saying that we shouldn't bring sex into a discussion about the quality or validity of a person to exist in this world, nor should we try to intimidate or push any agenda because we all come from different perspectives. And to my colleagues I say that I don't want to try to turn my classroom into a place where ideaology is more important than the su ject I teach. It is easily avoided and those who bring it into their classrooms are without a doubt, irresponsible at the least.
I don't suppose you'll follow up on this story now that the teacher has been exonerated. The investigation is finished, and other students in the class have confirmed this student repeatedly harassed this teacher as well as defaced the classroom bulletin board. The comment the student made had nothing to do with the class discussion, and he called it out in the middle of a lesson, looking right at the teacher. This kid is a spoiled brat, with parents who enable his crappy behavior. But of course the homophobic alarmists on this site latched onto this story right away. I have worked in the school system as a sub. I didn't get angry when a student said she thought gay marriage was wrong, respectfully during a discussion where she was supposed to discuss an editorial on the topic with her group. The principal of my school would have disciplined me if I sent the student out of the class for it. The fact that teenagers will lie about an infraction after they've been caught red-handed paired with the fact that the teacher and school principal both agreed a disrespectful class disruption had occurred, AND the fact that the religious right loves their "gay agenda" hysteria, made me smell a rat from day one on this story. Do the right thing, and follow up. The teacher's name has been cleared.
I really glad you people are offended by a sexual activity different than yours. You deserve each other. There's something extremely creepy in your outrage. And undoubtedly insincere. Stop watching Fox News all day long. One in 10 people on the planet is gay. That means the guy sharing that crowded elevator with you is gay. But guess what? He's not interested in you.