Lumberton ISD Principal's Prayer Prompts Threats from Freedom from Religion Foundation

Lumberton ISD is once again in the news. This time it is over a prayer that a Lumberton principal (more on what happened at the Lumberton graduation below)
did at a Kindergarten graduation. The principal, Kevin Wing, is one of the best principals running one of the best schools in Lumberton. Wing asked the parents if they mind if he said a prayer for the safety of the kids over the summer. That was it. Fortunately, this Christian prayer incident is not likely to cause any anger in Lumberton, TX. In fact, he will probably get an thank you from many parents who would like to see more prayers in school to combat the moral decline that we have seen over the years in America. He certainly should not get in trouble. If a teacher can walk around the school with a Vote Obama shirt on and not get into trouble, and if a different teacher can ask students to wear Muslim Burqas and not get into trouble, then it would be discriminatory to punish this principal for a simple school prayer. I didn't even call for the teacher involved in the Burqa incident to get disciplined, I just thought the lesson was a bad idea and should not be allowed. Teaching about religions and other cultures is ok, but having them wear a religious garment goes too far, especially since it was not taught that women could be killed in Muslim countries if they do not wear the Burqas. With that being said, this principal who said a prayer should not get into ANY trouble.

It is interesting that the Freedom from Religion Foundation had no problem with students wearing Muslim Burqas at Lumberton Texas Schools but they have a problem with a prayer at a graduation.... obvious hypocritical double standard!

Prayer in School is NOT ILLEGAL

Contrary to what Liberals, Atheists and the Freedom from Religion Foundation says, prayer in school is not illegal. Every once in a while these groups will sue and try to take "Under God" out of the Pledge or prayer out of the public arena because they somehow think having to hear the words Under God forces them be believe in God. They cry out about government not being able to establish a national religion but they forget about government also not being able to prohibit the free exercise thereof. I do understand things are a little different at schools because staff have a position of authority over kids who are learning. Because of this, school staff generally should not get involved in leading prayer or religious activities at school. It is not illegal but it might get the school involved in a lawsuit if a parent wants to sue to stop prayers from happening. That being said, STUDENTS CAN PRAY in schools and at school public events. Principal Wing did not pray in a classroom setting. He was not with the kids by themselves in a learning environment. He was with the parents and did not try to push any religion. He only asked for protection for the kids. No big deal, just don't do it again, nothing to see here, move along. Do not give in to the Atheists though, Principal Wing should still have the prayer, but NEXT TIME JUST LET ONE OF THE KIDS PRAY. Liberals and Atheists get mad when school staff pray but they can't do anything about a kid praying at the graduation.

The Prayer at the Lumberton Kindergarten Graduation - Hardin County District Clerk was witness - The Letter from FFRF

In east Texas, prayer at just about every public meeting, sporting event, and graduation is the norm There is nothing illegal about it. Prayer has been a pillar of just about every public event and even government meetings since the founding of the United States of America. We even get our rights in America from our "Creator."

Here is what happened in Lumberton according to the Hardin County District Clerk, Pam Hartt, who was at the graduation and saw what happened:

"Yes I was there for my son.....he said if y'all don't mind I want to say a little prayer for these children...the we all bowed and he said a simple prayer like..protect the children this summer, be with them through their educational journey and for parents and teachers as we bring them up....very short and sweet and then we all said pledge which of course says one nation under God"

Not long after the graduation, LISD received a letter from the Freedom from Religion Foundation threatening the school over the prayer. They said they got a complaint from an anonymous parent, but it is more likely that there was no complaining parent and the organization just heard about the prayer and decided to attack. This organization sends letter like this all the time and they typically get shot down. Freedom from Religion Foundation just lost in court right down the road from Lumberton in Kountze, TX when they tried to not allow students to put Bible verses on signs that the students make. They do not care about the Constitution, they only care about destroying Christianity the Constitutional right of religious expression.

Bottom line, there is nothing illegal about what happened at the Lumberton Kindergarten graduation. The principal should not get into trouble. It was a one time event and from now on the principal should just make sure it is a student praying instead of the principal so that thee liberal nuts do not come after the school.

Thanks Principal Wing! The residents of Lumberton, TX support you!

Lumberton Muslim Burqa Incident and CSCOPE

Recently, the Lumberton ISD was in the news because of a lesson that involved students wearing Muslim Burqas. This lesson did not sit well with parents in the school district. The Burqa incident even led to national scrutiny of other, unrelated curriculum lessons being taught all across Texas called CSCOPE. The CSCOPE curriculum contained everything from anti-American lessons to seemingly pro-communist and pro Islam lessons. Needless to say, CSCOPE did not stand a chance after outraged Texans and even the Legislature came after it. CSCOPE eventually pulled all of the lessons, but there is belief that the lessons will still be pushed into Texas schools via other online programs that are not transparent.

Sincerely,
David Bellow
Lumberton Resident

Lumberton ISD (Texas) Students Told to Wear Muslim Burqas in CSCOPE High School Lesson

Update: After Muslim Burqa Lesson, Student Pulled From Lumberton School - minor students cried today after being forced to sign incident report about what happened without parent notified or allowed to be at the meeting, parents furious - the school says this lesson seems to be a Lumberton lesson and not CSCOPE lesson, but CSCOPE Experts say it was CSCOPE influenced - Senator Dan Patrick Investigating

read more updates here: http://www.texasconservativerepublicannews.com/2013/02/update-after-muslim-burqa-lesson.html

original story:

Wow, I don’t even know what to say. I just read a news story by John Griffing on WND.com about my very own Hometown High School in Lumberton, TX (Lumberton ISD) making students wear Muslim Burqas as part of a History class this past week. (picture displayed below is from a Lumberton Student taken when they had to wear Burqas in class) 

I took down the original picture and put one up with faces blurred

 

Update: After I wrote this article I was contacted by a Lumberton resident with a student in this class, she said this Burqa incident was part of the regular CSCOPE lesson taught to the students and not just some extra curricular activity or student led project. The students were not forced to wear the Burqas, but the Burqas were there as part of the lesson and students were encouraged to try them on. That being said, it was confirmed that everything else being reported as happening in this Lumberton class are true, including the students were taught not to call a terrorist a terrorist and instead call them freedom fighters. Also, the teacher I hear was upset that she even had to teach the lesson and told the students she did not agree with it so I am not out to bash the teacher. Clearly this lesson has been forced into the classroom by someone and it needs to be corrected. This is outrageous!

Earlier this Month (February 2013), BEFORE this Burqa lesson was ever taught, I first learned that Lumberton ISD uses CSCOPE and I wrote this article: Lumberton ISD uses Liberal CSCOPE that teaches Allah is God and Boston Tea Party was Terrorism like 9/11

Right after I wrote that article, I went to the Lumberton School Board meeting and spoke to the School Board at the beginning of the meeting. I explained to the school board the problems with CSCOPE and asked them, at least, to have a hearing about CSCOPE and whether or not it should still be used at Lumberton ISD. The school board members did seem concerned and asked the Superintendent questions about CSCOPE. The Superintendent, John Valastro, assured the Board that the CSCOPE program was not used very much and they had not run into any issues with bad lessons getting taught by teacher.

Not even a month after I was assured at the LISD School Board meeting that there were no CSCOPE lesson problems at Lumberton ISD, I get emailed this article from WND with a picture of Lumberton ISD students in Burqas with quotes from students saying they were even told by the teacher that “we are going to change your perception about Islam” and the teacher in the Burqa lesson, according to a student, also said, “I do not necessarily agree with this, but I am supposed to teach you that we are not to call these people terrorists anymore, but freedom fighters.”

The lesson teaches that Burqas are just an alternative dress style that Muslims wear when in reality, women in Muslim countries are oppressed and FORCED to wear these Burqas or face even possibly death. At the end of class, the students were assigned to write a paper about Egypt. According to one student, they were instructed to discuss “how Egypt was a good country until democracy took over, and that things were finally corrected when the Muslim brotherhood came into power.”

I believe Mr. Valastro and do not think he or the School Board deceived me. I do think they probably being deceived though. I do believe there have been bad lessons that have not been brought to his attention and I believe some teachers use, and are even forced to use, CSCOPE lessons on a regular basis instead of just minimally.  That is the problem with CSCOPE though. There is no transparency! Everything is online and there are thousands of lessons that teachers can pick to use without even having to get it approved. Some of these lessons ARE bad lessons. Even the Superintendent and the school board did not know about what was going on with CSCOPE at LISD. Hopefully, now that this Burqa incident has happened and will be on the news all across America, there will be some action taken regarding CSCOPE being taught at Lumberton ISD. Yes there are legislative fixes that should be coming this year, but until then, Lumberton ISD should really consider having a hearing or something to discuss CSCOPE being used at LISD and whether or not it should even be used anymore until the problems get fixed.

also read these related articles from the last couple of years:

Lumberton Teacher Chastises 6th Grade Students for Watching Fox News Instead of CNN

Sexually Obscene Play shown Lumberton ISD