ICC Note: In 2014, a New Jersey substitute teacher, Walt Tutka, was fired after giving a student a Bible after the student asked for a copy. Shortly after, the First Liberty Institute decided to represent Tutka, as they alleged that the school district was guilty of discrimination against the teacher on the “basis of religion and retaliation.” The school district has finally agreed to a settlement, which allows Tutka to return to his position as a substitute teacher.
By Todd Starnes
05/12/2017 United States (Fox News) – It was way back in 2014 when I first introduced you to Walt Tutka, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey and a member of Gideon’s International.
Gideon’s is a Christian service organization. They give people Bibles. You’ve probably seen one of their Bibles in a Holiday Inn — on a bedside table.
Mr. Tutka also happened to be a substitute teacher in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. But he was fired from that job after he gave a student a Bible.
The student happened to be the last person entering through a door. Mr. Tutka told the youngster, “The first shall be last, but the last shall be first.”
The student later inquired on several occasions about the origins of the quote. He showed the student the verse in his Bible, which led to the student asking for a personal copy of the Bible. And being a good Gideon, Mr. Tutka gladly supplied the child with a copy.
It did not seem to matter to the school district that the student had asked for a copy of the Good Book.
First Liberty Institute took on Mr. Tutka’s case — and eventually scored a victory with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They agreed that the school district had discriminated against Mr. Tutka on the “basis of religion and retaliation.”
And on the eve of First Liberty’s deadline to file a federal lawsuit, the school district agreed to a settlement.
