Inappropriate behavior
Although they are few and far between, there are those students
who would use their right to religious expression in such a way
as to “push the limits” with their teachers. Remember
that with rights come responsibilities. Here are a couple of
warnings about inappropriate behavior when it comes to exercising
one’s rights:
Do not mask appropriate religious expression
with what could be perceived as inappropriate. A T-shirt that
says, “Give
em’ heaven or give em’ Hell!” could give a
mixed signal to the people who are reading it. Know that what
could be considered as vulgar or crude is not protected by the
Constitution inside the context of public schools.
Also, it would be inappropriate for students to try and test
their teachers, administrators, or other school officials by
using their Constitutional rights in a manner as to try and cause
conflict. By all means, exercise your rights freely and to the
fullest extent possible, but do not use them in an effort to
provoke others. If, in exercising your rights, others are moved
to try and take them from you, then defend them as diligently
as possible.
As a student, it is inappropriate to force your religious practices
onto an unwilling person. For instance, do not attempt to force
someone to pray against their will. Do not attempt to force someone
to read a Bible tract or participate in a religious activity.
You have the right to share your beliefs with students that,
due to the nature of certain assignments, are naturally bound
to hear your viewpoint- in class speeches for example… although
some students could ask to be removed from the classroom during
your speech, if they request it. However, you do not have the
right to force them into any religious practices if they are
unwilling.
Harassment can be accomplished through relentless speech toward
a specific party whether it’s religious or not. Do not
attempt to express your viewpoint with those who make it clear
that they do not want to participate in any way. (A Ski Club
President who constantly bombards an individual with literature
and speech designed to get a potential ski club member involved
with ski club, may be accused of harassment. This is especially
the case if the potential ski club member has made it clear that
he or she is not interested.)
The content on this page has been reviewed by The Rutherford Institute.
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