ICC Note: Loyal Grandstaff, a seventh grader from Marshall, Missouri, was recently told by his teacher that he was not allowed to read his Bible during the class’s free time. Even though the 12-year-old was reading silently to himself and not disturbing any of the other children, he was forced to stop reading. This is just one of many cases of Bible opposition in public schools in the United States with similar instances occurring in Michigan, Texas, and Florida.
By Heather Clark
01/07/2015 United States (Christian News Network) – A middle school student is Missouri states that he was told by one of his teachers last month that he wasn’t allowed to read his Bible during free class time.
Loyal Grandstaff, 12, is a seventh grade student at Bueker Middle School in Marshall, and last month, he found himself with some free time during one of his classes, so he took out his Bible and began to read it silently to himself.
“I was just reading,” he told local television station WDAF. “I was reading because I had free time. I had time to do what I wanted to, so I just broke it out and read. … I like to read my Bible because it’s a good book.”
But Grandstaff’s teacher, whose name has not yet been released, reportedly told the student that he could not read his Bible in class, even during free time.
“He doesn’t want me reading it in his class because he doesn’t believe in it,” Grandstaff said. “Because he feels like he’s shut down.”
The middle school student’s father said that he believe his son was wrongfully prohibited from reading the Bible in class just because it was a Bible.
“I feel like it violated his freedom of religion but also his freedom of speech,” Justin Grandstaff told reporters. “There’s kids walking around disrespecting their teachers, kids walking around cussing and everything else, and they’re practically getting into no trouble at all.”
Principal Lance Tobin has stated that he will look into the matter as Bibles are not banned on campus. He was to have spoken with Grandstaff’s father on Tuesday.
