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KHS Teacher Controversy


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Paul, don;t you have a job? Every time I come here, I have to read what Paul LaClair has to say...it is annoying....I CAN"T care LESS about what you have to say. Stop trying to make people believe like you do! Go to work and forget about KHS! Leave us alone! Get over with it! Thanks!!!!!

ps: I am just so glad I am not your client. You don't work...you spend the day posting in this blog!

Don't you have a job? Every time I come here you are here! Doesn't that mean that you are here just as much as he is? I don't care what you have to say. So stop trying make people beleive like you do!! Leave us alone! :angry::)

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I think that the teacher could have been a little more tactful in his statements but they were completely legal. what better place to discuss religion then in a HISTORY class, because as anyone with half a brain can see history is filled with religious conflicts and decisions based on religion.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. The teacher's comments are legal when said as a citizen. However, in his role as a public school teacher, his salary paid by the taxpayers of Kearny, such comments violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment. He is a public official engaged in establishing a religion with specific beliefs. Indeed, he was proselytizing for his own religious faith. That is a right one must forego when one takes on the mantel of a government official, in this case, a public school teacher.

What I find disconcerting is that there has apparently been no apology issued by the Kearny board of education or by the teacher. This lack of an apology raises grave questions in my mind regarding the teacher's judgment and thus his effectiveness and appropriateness in the classroom in general.

This post is being written not only as a clergyman but also as a certified New Jersey school psychologist.

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If he was waiting for an apology, I wouldn't give him one if I where Mr. P. He obviously set him up.  You can clearly hear Mr. P. state that the discussion was going in a wrong direction and does anyone object to the topic, all replied "no". LaClair was the next voice baiting Mr. P.

This kid wants to be an actor/movie star, and he used the media for his own publicity.

Mostly ALL the students support Mr. P.  He is a wonderfull teacher, and no, he does not preach in class!

Oddly, that's not what the tapes show.

FYI, it's not serving "Mr. P" very well to have people as marginally literate as those posting in support of him here self-identify as students he was paid to teach.

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OMG... after reading these resonses I would say that pretty much all of the students in this school are in trouble.... the spelling mistakes, the grammar mistakes, the poor construction of thoughts..... not to mention the complete lack of ability to argue a point....

BTW... the adult responses don't seem to fare any better.... just sad  <_<

Maybe the teachers should stick to teaching their subjects.... at least the community memebers would be able to write.

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A comment from a teacher (actually a professor, but same thing, in a public institution): Those of you asserting the teacher's "academic freedom" have it wrong. Academic freedom means only that teachers have the right to bring up any subject, but it does not mean we have the right to say anything we want about that topic. The point of education is that we can talk about any topic of interest, as long as we discuss it in an academic manner: rational, open, logical, and respectful. That means we must be open to all opinions on the matter, and that all opinions must be expressed as options, not facts, and remain subject to further rational debate. The teacher in question was OK for bringing up religion as a topic; he was not OK for telling the students that there is only one answer to the question on the table, that he (or Jesus) has that answer, that logical arguments against it are irrelevant (there were dinosaurs on the ark?? on what basis does he "know" this?), or that anyone who feels differently is doomed. That's not education, it's propaganda and religious indoctrination, which are forbidden not only because of separation of church and state, but because it's lousy teaching -- in fact, not "teaching" at all, in the educator's sense of the word. You may tell a student he's wrong about a provable fact, but salvation after death is not, by definition, a provable fact, since if it happens, it doesn't happen in an observable world.

Too may people on this list are attacking the student because they agree with the teacher's religious opinions/beliefs, and they are sadly willing to ignore or trample more important issues: academic principles of a good education, and national principles that religion does not belong in discussions of non-religious subjects, since it is by definition non-rational. Any person in this society is free not to believe in any particular god, and free to express that opinion by not saying words, like the pledge of allegiance's "under god," that are highly sectarian and arguably unconstitutional.

I am saddened to read so many ignorant, nasty, and un-American attacks on Matthew LaClair -- all he did was stand up for recognized principles of decent society and proper education. Seems as if too many of you are willing to overlook more basic rules of society whenever the violator happens to agree with your own religious viewpoint. And you're frighteningly quick to condemn the rights and humanity of someone who disagrees with you. Sounds too much like Hitler's Germany for my comfort. I grew up in Newark, not Kearny; now I understand why people in my old neighborhood -- not the most enlightened bunch themselves -- looked down on your town.

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Guest vread555

I think that Matthew LaClair showed great courage in taking on this issue in a community that clearly does not understand the importance of the separation of church and state. This is a constitutional issue, not an issue of "patriotism". If more people took a position on matters such as this, we would be much stronger as a community and a country. I commend Matthew as a thoughtful future voter and citizen.

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Guest SORAL~myspace

How would you all feel if this teacher said that your are all going to hell if you aren't muslim. Would it be ok if he was teaching the proficies of Islam instead of Jesus?

NO, its not ok either way. History is one thing, religion is all speculation, thats why you must have "faith" or it doesnt work.

Teaching faith in schools is fine, teaching specific faith is not.

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Guest SORAL~myspace

How would you all feel if this teacher said that your are all going to hell if you aren't muslim. Would it be ok if he was teaching the proficies of Islam instead of Jesus?

NO, its not ok either way. History is one thing, religion is all speculation, thats why you must have "faith" or it doesnt work.

Teaching faith in schools is fine, teaching specific faith is not.

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David Paszkiewicz’s classroom behavior suggests that he thinks that freedom of religion only applies to him and the good folks that think exactly like him.

He has a public trust to respect the freedom of religion of those placed in his charge, by trying to cram his religious beliefs down the ears and into the minds of his students he has violated this trust.

Paszkiewicz is not a public school teacher, he is an egocentric proselytizer.

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<_< why is the town having problems with the best teacher to hit town in years!A PROUD AMERICAN IS 100 % RIGHT! the town has lost its way in the dark! and kearny IS IN ITS DARK DAYS! the very thing that our life and laws are made of is at risk! when god is left out of teaching in school the very way of life in the usa is at risk! thats just what UBL WANTS! the town folk NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE THE STUPID DUMB THINGS SOME FOLK ARE SAYING! this is a good time for kearny to " repent" for pushing god out of schools and every day life  ;)

So what I am understanding from most of the pro-teacher posts is that it is your belief that it was the teacher's Constitutional right to proselytize due to the freedom of religion amendment, is this correct? Then I assume that someone who wishes to go into a classroom and preach Satanism would also be protected according to your argument. Or is it just freedom of Christian religion that the Constitution protects.

The teacher would have done a greater service to his students, and actually have been doing his job, if he would have taught that most of the original settlers in the 17th century came here from England to get away from people like him, who were trying to shove their religion down the settlers throats when they were in Europe. Of course, from what I can see from these posts, is that they really don't teach American history in Kearny, but rather, Christian American revisionist history.

As they say, those who refuse to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it, and we as a country are definitely headed in that direction.

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Totally agree with those supporting this kid. It's OK to talk about religion in a history class--religion is a big part of history whether we like it or not. But it is not OK for a teacher to repeatedly preach his personal views about God to his students. That belongs in his church, NEVER, EVER in a public school.

Kudos for this kid to have the nerve to take a public stand. That takes courage.

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Guest Freedom from religion
The issue is the taped evidence. If the teacher taught such backward nonsense in class, he should be summarily dismissed from Kearny's school system. Then he can go misteach at some backward religious, brain washing institution for the preparation of ignoramuses.

TEACH DON'T PREACH.

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As a high school teacher I am well aware of the distinction between personal opinion and presentation of factual information. A teacher’s responsibility is to present facts and not personal opinion. There is no doubt that Mr. Paszkiewicz was stating his personal opinion about religion and the conclusion of scientists. Freedom of speech does not mean the right to subject students to one’s personal views. It is not appropriate in a public school classroom to proselytize to one’s students. Even though I personally accept the facts that support the Big Bang Theory and Evolution by the process of natural selection I do not try to influence my student’s beliefs. It is their right to accept the facts I present or reject them. The appropriate thing is to expose the students to the facts and then allow them to make the decision to accept these facts or not. Mr. Paszkiewicz was not stating facts he was telling his students what he believes and that he was right and there was no possibility that other ideas were correct.

I commend the student who was willing to come forward and defend his right to not be forced to listen to a teacher’s religious beliefs in a public school setting. I have no problem with the teacher’s beliefs only the fact that he was forcing his students to listen to them without stating clearly that this was his personal opinion.

Gene Field

Patterson CA

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Guest Mike C.
If you are from Kearny then by now you have heard a story that has been blown WAY OUT OF PROPORTION.

A student of KHS, one Matthew LaClair has gone to the newspaper stating that a teacher has been forcing his religious views in is history class.

Now I am all for having freedom of speech, but I also believe every subject has a place and time for discussion; and religion in a history class is not that place.

HOWEVER!!!! This 16 year old CHILD, is nothing more than an attention seeking, immature person, who is also been known to "previously garnered attention for protesting Bush administration activities by refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance" (the lippar blog) I will include this website at the end of my rant!

This kid thinks he is so self rightcious and claims he “was requesting an apology and correction of false and anti-scientific statements" (the lippard blog).

If you listen to the audio (which I will also supply the site to) you can clearly hear that Laclair PROVOKED the conversation, and you can hear that the teacher had responded QUITE APPROPRIATELY:

One example being:

Matthew: isn't the whole point of public schools is so that you can separate personal beliefs from teachers and administrators from non religious teachings during school, like school prayer and all that.

teacher: the purpose of public school is to provide free education for people that couldn't afford education. That’s the purpose of public school

Matthew: what would decide what religion should be taught in school, what would decide that?

teacher: no it's not about teaching, my point is it's not about teaching religion, these issues all come up in time, ( tape fades out) things get legislated and we talk in class

the public school shouldn't teach a religion but the scriptures aren't religion they are a foundation of the worlds religion, the world main religion any way.

religion is a set way of doing things

In the conversation above, taken my Matthew Laclair himself, i see no wrong doing by this teacher, i do however see constant and what seems to be "rehearsed" provoking of the topic.

I hope he is reading this right now, because I just have one question for him: What on earth was the need to go to the newspaper? Laclair stated that he had a meeting with the principle, teacher, and the head of the social studies department and at first they did not seem to believe him but then he pulled out the cd's.....which in itself violated this teachers right to privacy.

So again, my question, after laclair proved himself with the cd's why did he not wait for administrative action to take place? There was no need to go to the newspaper, and I think in doing so, this Matthew laclair just proves that he is a 16 year old high school student, and therefore has ALOT to learn before he goes off starting religious wars, and pledge of allegiance protest in the United States of America, a country that has always, and especially since 9/11 shown great pride in our ONE NATION UNDER GOD!!!!

ps: a little side note for everyone reading this who disagrees: stating your views on religion and "forcing your beliefs on someone" is two COMPLELTY DIFFERENT THINGS.

so I would like to say to everyone who agrees or disagrees, we are all here in this nation, in this community together, and my religion is Roman Catholic, so when I say GOD BLESS YOU, I’m not forcing my views, I’m using my faith to wish you health and happiness

GOD BLESS you all

PPS: if this offends anyone then tough, because I AM offended that a wonderful teacher is being persecuted by an unknowledgeable juvenile for merely stating what he believes in. Also that this kid is living in MY COUTNRY where my friends and family have fought to keep our freedom and he turns his back on our president and our flag.

lippard blog: http://lippard.blogspot.com/2006/11/public...-class-you.html

Audio:

http://www.nj.com/cgi-bin/prxy/xmedia/nph-.../classaudio.mp3

Keep your religion to yourself. I don't give a flying fig what you choose to believe. HOWEVER, it doesn't give you the right to tell others what to believe. Matthew was 100% correct in this case.

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Guest Ken Anderson

Wow, I didn't know there were so many redneck yahoo idiots in New Jersey - if I didn't know this had happened in New Jersey, I would have thought it was rural Alabama.

Not that anyone gives a crap what someone who is not from your town thinks, but I think this kid was right on. A lot of us are getting sick and f***ing tired of all you evangelicals shoving your idiotic, primitive beliefs down our throats, and we are going to keep fighting back until you crawl back into your caves and leave the rest of us alone.

If you don't like separation of church and state, then maybe you should go to Iran or Afganistan or someplace like that where the clerics are firmly in charge of everything.

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If its a history class, why did Matt LaClair ASK him about Religion? It was a trap, plain and simple. Matt asked the teacher a question about religion--and before the teacher answered he asked the class if they minded  he'' went in this direction'' to which there was a chorus of "no's"so he continued.

My child,who is a 16yr old at KHS, says this kid- besides refusing to stand for the "Pledge of Allegience" also complains that our money states " In God we trust"...I'll betcha anything he doesn't mind spending it though!

First off, the tape recorder. It's common and accepted to tape school lectures. Go to a lecture hall at any college and you'll see students with tape recorders, iPods, or computers taping the lectures.

Secondly, there is nothing wrong with a teenager or anyone else expressing unpopular beliefs. People should applaud the student for being interested in the ideals on which this country was founded. Attacking someone for refusing to stand for the pledge or other controversial topics represents a tyranny of the type that Madison wrote about in the Federalist papers, specifically #10. Those of you who believe that forming groups and attacking a young man for his beliefs are thus behaving in a decidedly un-American way--America, has always been about the protection of the little guy, particularly when the little guy is expressing unpopular or revolutionary ideals. Federalist #10 is available here: http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa10.htm

Third, the teacher is not simply exercising his right to free expression as an individual because he is a representative of the state in his role as a government employed teacher. As such, he is not free to express whatever he wishes while in the classroom, but must stick to the curriculum as decided by the state. In his personal life, however, the teacher can say anything he wants about god, evolution, the state, the pledge of allegiance, black people, white people, gays and lesbians, fat people, the poor, the rich, the Jews, and whether a Muslim will go to hell, as long as he is not doing it as a representative of the state.

Finally, a group of teen-aged students who say "nooo" they don't mind is not analogous to a conversation in the social adult world, where permission can be granted or taken away. It is more like a conversation with your boss, who may say something just terrible with your implied permission because you don't want to loose your job. The teacher has a power over the students via grades, discipline, college recommendations, etc. A student does not have the power to approve or disapprove of a teachers behavior or to give them permission for speech. If a teacher wanted to show a class violent pornography, and the students all said "nooo" they didn't mind, that wouldn't make it right, nor would it make it anything but an abuse of the power that the state has given the teacher. Further, most of the people on this board would be ready to take the teacher to the stake and elevate the student who turned him in to a saint.

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Were my child attending this school, I would not rest until this man was gone from the school. I am a professor, a parent, and practicing Catholic. I am offended on all three fronts by this man's prostelytizing in class.

Not only does Matthew deserve an apology, but so does every student who has been exposed to this inappropriate remarks. I am thinking in partricular of "a specific Muslim girl" the NY Times article references. I can not imagine my child being told, by anyone, but above all by a teacher in a public school, that she was damned to hell. That kind of ignorant, insensitive, inappropriate and hurtful remark is every bit as damaging as sexual harassment, racism or bullying.

This man has no place teaching in a public school.

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One Million Cheers for Matthew LaClair!!!!!

A public school room is no place for the teachers blatantly evangelical views. Who is this creep teacher to be telling students that they will go to hell for not believing what he believes? Paszkiewicz should keep his views to Sunday school or get a job teacing full-time at a religious institution not a public shool. Matthew is brave for doing what he did, and all students and residents of NJ should be proud of him for standing up and speaking out about this.

Teacher: The purpose of public school is to provide free education for people that couldn't afford education. That’s the purpose of public school

Me: I disagree. The purpose of public school is to provide a quality education to all people, regardless of their financial situation. Part of the taxes I pay goes for education for other people's kids. Its part of the American dream to rise in economic status by gaining education.

PPS: if this offends anyone then tough, because I AM offended that a wonderful teacher is being persecuted by an unknowledgeable juvenile for merely stating what he believes in. Also that this kid is living in MY COUTNRY where my friends and family have fought to keep our freedom and he turns his back on our president and our flag.

What the hell are you talking about?????? It is NOT your country, it is OUR country. People fought & fight to retain the right to speak out and state what they believe. Have you heard of "I might not agree with what you say, but I defend the right for you to say it?"

It does not matter if the person is 16, 33, 109 or 55. He/She can say what they believe freely or this is not America.

Public school is Not the forum to preach.

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um, so I am a true jersey girl, but I've never been to Kearny before...I just looked at its demo. statistics and found out that the place is well below the national average in educational attainment...only 70% of Kearny residents have high school diploma's vs. 80% for the whole country, for college degrees, its 17% for Kearny and 24% for the rest of the country. It's strange that a town with such a dismal educational foundation would be so quick to defend itself and its poor teachers. The failure of education in Kearny is evident in its job force participation and unemployment figures, which are both worse than the national average.

This is joined by a corresponding high level of religious belief in Kearny vs. the rest of the country. In Kearny 62% of people call themselves religious, while only 50% do in the whole country. Interestingly, the majority of the religious folks in Kearny are Catholic, with over 52% of the population of Kearny while Catholics make up only about 22% of the population in the whole country. (Kearny has under 5% Protestants, while the nation has about a 19% Protestant population)

These figures paint the portrait of a town that is fairly isolated from different ways of thinking, particularly in regard to religion, poorly educated, and economically disadvantaged. Further, the changes in population statistics show that it has a negative population rate (meaning more people are leaving than moving in) while at the same time there has been an explosion of other, non-white or non-Catholic populations, particularly Latino/a's and Muslims. This suggests that the good folks of Kearny who are members of the old guard might be, um, freaking out and having a few issues of the xenophobic type and maybe, just maybe, want everyone and everything new and upsetting to just shut up and go away.

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I think Matthew's case has been thorougly expressed here, but it still makes me sad to think that people in American really do not understand the concept of freedom. Kudos to Matthew and Paul for standing up for our rights!

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Religion.

Why is it that Americans are so hesitant to talk about religion? I wonder would LaClair have made any complaints had Mr. Paszkiewicz discredited Christianity instead of supported it.

Although the teacher was overtly emphasizing his religion, it does not mean students have to listen and convert to his faith. This is kind of environment is present in many college classes.

Are high school students incapable of thinking and defending their beliefs? And yet once they enter college, they'll suddenly develop the ability to debate and think for themselves?

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Guest Patrick Klinck

Look, before Mr. Paszkiewicz starts teaching the U.S. Constitution, he ought to brush up on the history of the religious wars that tore Europe apart in the 16th & 17th centuries. (They make Iraq look like a playground.) Then he might understand the reason the principle of separation of church and state was adopted in the first place. For now, he's unfit to be teaching in a public school, least of all history (fact) or in any school (my opinion).

If you are from Kearny then by now you have heard a story that has been blown WAY OUT OF PROPORTION.

A student of KHS, one Matthew LaClair has gone to the newspaper stating that a teacher has been forcing his religious views in is history class.

Now I am all for having freedom of speech, but I also believe every subject has a place and time for discussion; and religion in a history class is not that place.

HOWEVER!!!! This 16 year old CHILD, is nothing more than an attention seeking, immature person, who is also been known to "previously garnered attention for protesting Bush administration activities by refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance" (the lippar blog) I will include this website at the end of my rant!

This kid thinks he is so self rightcious and claims he “was requesting an apology and correction of false and anti-scientific statements" (the lippard blog).

If you listen to the audio (which I will also supply the site to) you can clearly hear that Laclair PROVOKED the conversation, and you can hear that the teacher had responded QUITE APPROPRIATELY:

One example being:

Matthew: isn't the whole point of public schools is so that you can separate personal beliefs from teachers and administrators from non religious teachings during school, like school prayer and all that.

teacher: the purpose of public school is to provide free education for people that couldn't afford education. That’s the purpose of public school

Matthew: what would decide what religion should be taught in school, what would decide that?

teacher: no it's not about teaching, my point is it's not about teaching religion, these issues all come up in time, ( tape fades out) things get legislated and we talk in class

the public school shouldn't teach a religion but the scriptures aren't religion they are a foundation of the worlds religion, the world main religion any way.

religion is a set way of doing things

In the conversation above, taken my Matthew Laclair himself, i see no wrong doing by this teacher, i do however see constant and what seems to be "rehearsed" provoking of the topic.

I hope he is reading this right now, because I just have one question for him: What on earth was the need to go to the newspaper? Laclair stated that he had a meeting with the principle, teacher, and the head of the social studies department and at first they did not seem to believe him but then he pulled out the cd's.....which in itself violated this teachers right to privacy.

So again, my question, after laclair proved himself with the cd's why did he not wait for administrative action to take place? There was no need to go to the newspaper, and I think in doing so, this Matthew laclair just proves that he is a 16 year old high school student, and therefore has ALOT to learn before he goes off starting religious wars, and pledge of allegiance protest in the United States of America, a country that has always, and especially since 9/11 shown great pride in our ONE NATION UNDER GOD!!!!

ps: a little side note for everyone reading this who disagrees: stating your views on religion and "forcing your beliefs on someone" is two COMPLELTY DIFFERENT THINGS.

so I would like to say to everyone who agrees or disagrees, we are all here in this nation, in this community together, and my religion is Roman Catholic, so when I say GOD BLESS YOU, I’m not forcing my views, I’m using my faith to wish you health and happiness

GOD BLESS you all

PPS: if this offends anyone then tough, because I AM offended that a wonderful teacher is being persecuted by an unknowledgeable juvenile for merely stating what he believes in. Also that this kid is living in MY COUTNRY where my friends and family have fought to keep our freedom and he turns his back on our president and our flag.

lippard blog: http://lippard.blogspot.com/2006/11/public...-class-you.html

Audio:

http://www.nj.com/cgi-bin/prxy/xmedia/nph-.../classaudio.mp3

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It's really quite interesting in reading the earlier posts, of the passion of some of the individual's support of the pro preaching in public classrooms.

However, I'd love to see the response from these same individuals if perhaps the teacher was conveying pro-MUSLIM arguments in class.

Their digrading remarks against this young student who simply pointed out the flagrant violation of the constitution in what was supposed to be an advanced highschool class on the constitution, simply highlights the unintelligent viewpoints from those whom believe in such arcaic theories as dinosaurs being on Noah's arc.

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