Rev. Jim Bridges

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.