1 Reyes

Running head: Portfolio 6

Portfolio 6

Cynthia Reyes

Dr. Dale B. Warby

2 Reyes

Portfolio 6

In a scenario where a kindergarten teacher informed the parents and students that she

could no longer lead certain activities or participate in certain projects because they were

religious to her newly affliction with Jehovahs witnesses. This meant that the teacher could no

longer decorate the classroom for holidays or plan for gift exchanges during the Christmas

season, she also could not sing Happy Birthday or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The parents

protested and the principle, Bill Ward, recommended her dismissal based on her ineffectively

meeting the needs of the students.

In the case of West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), is a case

where the court ruled that public students had a First Amendment right to not salute the flag. The

court noted that the teacher did not proselytize her students but stood in respectful silence and

that another teacher led the students in the flag. All teachers and students were required to honor

the Flag; refusal to salute the Flag was treated as insubordination and was punishable by

expulsion and charges of delinquency.

In the case of Palmer v. Board of education, the 7th circuit, a Jehovahs Witness

kindergarten teacher was fired when she informed the principle she could not teach any part

of the curriculum that involved patriotic activities. Although one of these activities

included saluting the flag, the teacher felt she must also not engage in prescribed

elements of the curriculum involving patriotism, in any secular or religious holiday, or in

the celebration of student birthdays. As the court ruled, "there is a compelling state

interest in the choice and adherence to a suitable curriculum cannot be left to individual

teachers to teach what they please.

In a more recent case, Jehovah's Witnesses refused to get government

3 Reyes

Permits to preach door-to-door in Stratton, Ohio. In 2002, the case was Heard in the

U.S. Supreme Court, Watchtower Society v. Village of Stratton, the Court ruled in favor

of Jehovah's Witnesses, holding that making it a misdemeanor (to engage in door-to-

door advocacy without first registering with the mayor and receiving a permit) violates

the first Amendment as it applies to religious proselytizing, anonymous political speech,

and the distribution of handbills.

In the case of Minersville School District v. Gobitis the decision by the Supreme Court of

the United States of America involving the religious rights of public school students under the

First Amendment constitutions the Court ruled that public schools could compel studentsin

this case, Jehovah Witness to salute the American Flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance

despite the students' religious objections to these practices. This decision led to increased

persecution of Witnesses in the United States. The Supreme Court overruled this decision a mere

three years later, in the West Virginia State Board of Education.

In my opinion, I think that they should not fire her, she has rights as well, maybe instead

if decorating her classroom she could send her students to another classroom and have them

celebrate the holidays there with the teachers, like in the case of West Virginia State Board of

Education v. Barnette, how another teacher led them in the Pledge of Allegiance, maybe another

teacher could lead them in other activates and special events as well.
4 Reyes

References
West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 June 2015.