Marko Kloos
Moderator Emeritus
Religious freedom apparently does not extend to non-Christians in the Union County school system....
Union schools hit with religion-related lawsuit
Action claims student was beaten, harassed for
being different
*
By JENNIFER LAWSON, [email protected]
February 14, 2003
*
India Tracy came to expect being sent to the
principal's office even though she was a well-
behaved, straight-A student.
*
But the Union County youngster knew she'd
probably be the only student with "no" written
on the permission slip to attend a tent revival
during school hours. When she declined to
portray Mary in a Christmas play, she also was
sent to the principal's office.
*
India and her parents, Greg and Sarajane Tracy,
allege other students taunted her, beat her and
ridiculed her religion for years. Fed up with
the treatment, her parents filed a federal
lawsuit on her behalf Thursday.
*
The lawsuit claims the Union County school
system violated India's civil rights by
promoting and endorsing religious activities,
denied her right to freely exercise her religion
and failed to protect her from harassment and
physical and verbal abuse.
*
The first time the Tracys declined to allow
their daughter to attend the two-hour,
fundamental Christian services held over three
days was in 1999, when she was in the fourth
grade. The family had bought 11 acres in Union
County because they thought the area was
beautiful.
*
"The principal had called me to the office
because mine was the only slip that said no,"
said India, now 14. "He asked me why I didn't
want to go. He asked my religion. I told him I
didn't want to talk about it and for him to call
my parents."
*
Sarajane Tracy told the principal that she also
did not want to discuss religion because she
didn't think it belonged in school, she said.
The family could be anything - Buddhist, Jewish
or Islamic - and it shouldn't matter, she said.
The family follows the ancient religious
tradition of Paganism, which embraces kinship
with nature, positive morality and acknowledges
both the female and male side of Deity,
according to the Pagan Federation.
*
India was the only student left in her class
during the Area Wide Crusade in April 1999, so
her classmates knew she hadn't gone. The crusade
was begun in 1998 by a Union County Baptist
pastor and is planned for this April as well.
While declining to comment on the lawsuit,
school system Director James Pratt said the
ministry rents school buses for transporting the
students and some teachers act as chaperones but
they must use a personal day to do so.
He referred other questions to Nashville
attorney Charles Cagle. Cagle declined comment
because he had not seen a copy of the lawsuit
Thursday afternoon.
*
The name-calling and rumor spreading began soon
after the 1999 revival, India and her parents
said.
*
Between 1999 and February 2002 when her parents
removed her from Horace Maynard Middle School,
the lawsuit alleges:
*
n That India was repeatedly called "Satan
worshipper," "witch" and other derogatory names.
She was accused of eating babies and of being a
lesbian because she wasn't a Christian, the
lawsuit said.
*
n That India was forced to attend regular Bible
study classes during the school day, and urged
to lead the school and her class in prayer.
*
n That derogatory names were written on her
locker in permanent ink and the school refused
to paint over the graffiti or move her locker.
*
n That India was repeatedly attacked as she
knelt in front of her bottom-row locker. Her
head was bashed at least 10 times, cutting her
lip, above her eyes and bloodying her nose.
*
n That a teacher told India to "keep quiet
because you'll get in trouble" after she wrote a
paper about religious freedom.
*
n That a bus driver regularly asked India in
front of other students if she had gone to
church yet and if she'd like to come to church.
*
The Tracys' Knoxville attorney, Margaret Held,
said the family did not want to sue. They just
wanted their daughter to attend a safe school
without persecution.
*
"They tried being quiet about it and that didn't
work," she said. "I would hope that the people
in Union County who have been killing their
goats and beating up their kid are a minority.
If there's one thing that Christ taught, it was
tolerance."
*
During her years at Sharps Chapel Elementary
School and later at the middle school, India
maintained top-notch grades. She also was one of
the few girl players on the football team,
played in the band and belonged to the Beta Club
and Chess Club.
*
Her parents pulled her out of public school
nearly a year ago, after a friend of hers called
to say she'd been suggesting suicide. She was
diagnosed with anxiety and has been home-
schooled since then.
*
The suit seeks $300,000 in damages to pay
India's tuition to a private school, legal fees
and the cost of psychological counseling. The
suit also seeks a court prohibition against "the
school system's continued religious
indoctrination of children."
*
"Maybe it will be a harsh enough lesson so the
next child in Union County who's different can
continue through school and graduate and feel
safe," Sarajane Tracy said.
*
Jennifer Lawson can be reached at 865-342-6316.
*
Copyright 2003, Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
Union schools hit with religion-related lawsuit
Action claims student was beaten, harassed for
being different
*
By JENNIFER LAWSON, [email protected]
February 14, 2003
*
India Tracy came to expect being sent to the
principal's office even though she was a well-
behaved, straight-A student.
*
But the Union County youngster knew she'd
probably be the only student with "no" written
on the permission slip to attend a tent revival
during school hours. When she declined to
portray Mary in a Christmas play, she also was
sent to the principal's office.
*
India and her parents, Greg and Sarajane Tracy,
allege other students taunted her, beat her and
ridiculed her religion for years. Fed up with
the treatment, her parents filed a federal
lawsuit on her behalf Thursday.
*
The lawsuit claims the Union County school
system violated India's civil rights by
promoting and endorsing religious activities,
denied her right to freely exercise her religion
and failed to protect her from harassment and
physical and verbal abuse.
*
The first time the Tracys declined to allow
their daughter to attend the two-hour,
fundamental Christian services held over three
days was in 1999, when she was in the fourth
grade. The family had bought 11 acres in Union
County because they thought the area was
beautiful.
*
"The principal had called me to the office
because mine was the only slip that said no,"
said India, now 14. "He asked me why I didn't
want to go. He asked my religion. I told him I
didn't want to talk about it and for him to call
my parents."
*
Sarajane Tracy told the principal that she also
did not want to discuss religion because she
didn't think it belonged in school, she said.
The family could be anything - Buddhist, Jewish
or Islamic - and it shouldn't matter, she said.
The family follows the ancient religious
tradition of Paganism, which embraces kinship
with nature, positive morality and acknowledges
both the female and male side of Deity,
according to the Pagan Federation.
*
India was the only student left in her class
during the Area Wide Crusade in April 1999, so
her classmates knew she hadn't gone. The crusade
was begun in 1998 by a Union County Baptist
pastor and is planned for this April as well.
While declining to comment on the lawsuit,
school system Director James Pratt said the
ministry rents school buses for transporting the
students and some teachers act as chaperones but
they must use a personal day to do so.
He referred other questions to Nashville
attorney Charles Cagle. Cagle declined comment
because he had not seen a copy of the lawsuit
Thursday afternoon.
*
The name-calling and rumor spreading began soon
after the 1999 revival, India and her parents
said.
*
Between 1999 and February 2002 when her parents
removed her from Horace Maynard Middle School,
the lawsuit alleges:
*
n That India was repeatedly called "Satan
worshipper," "witch" and other derogatory names.
She was accused of eating babies and of being a
lesbian because she wasn't a Christian, the
lawsuit said.
*
n That India was forced to attend regular Bible
study classes during the school day, and urged
to lead the school and her class in prayer.
*
n That derogatory names were written on her
locker in permanent ink and the school refused
to paint over the graffiti or move her locker.
*
n That India was repeatedly attacked as she
knelt in front of her bottom-row locker. Her
head was bashed at least 10 times, cutting her
lip, above her eyes and bloodying her nose.
*
n That a teacher told India to "keep quiet
because you'll get in trouble" after she wrote a
paper about religious freedom.
*
n That a bus driver regularly asked India in
front of other students if she had gone to
church yet and if she'd like to come to church.
*
The Tracys' Knoxville attorney, Margaret Held,
said the family did not want to sue. They just
wanted their daughter to attend a safe school
without persecution.
*
"They tried being quiet about it and that didn't
work," she said. "I would hope that the people
in Union County who have been killing their
goats and beating up their kid are a minority.
If there's one thing that Christ taught, it was
tolerance."
*
During her years at Sharps Chapel Elementary
School and later at the middle school, India
maintained top-notch grades. She also was one of
the few girl players on the football team,
played in the band and belonged to the Beta Club
and Chess Club.
*
Her parents pulled her out of public school
nearly a year ago, after a friend of hers called
to say she'd been suggesting suicide. She was
diagnosed with anxiety and has been home-
schooled since then.
*
The suit seeks $300,000 in damages to pay
India's tuition to a private school, legal fees
and the cost of psychological counseling. The
suit also seeks a court prohibition against "the
school system's continued religious
indoctrination of children."
*
"Maybe it will be a harsh enough lesson so the
next child in Union County who's different can
continue through school and graduate and feel
safe," Sarajane Tracy said.
*
Jennifer Lawson can be reached at 865-342-6316.
*
Copyright 2003, Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
