A seventh grade student in Texas reported that her teacher asked students to deny the existence of God during a class assignment.
The assignment was intended to help students distinguish statements as “opinion,” “a factual claim,” or a “commonplace assertion,” according to KTRK-TV
To the statement, “There is a God,” Jordan Wooley-- a seventh grader at West Memorial Junior High-- answered that it was “fact or opinion.”
“Based on my religion and based on what I think and believe, I do not think it was a commonplace assertion,” Wooley told KHOU, a CBS affiliate in Texas.
The teacher challenged Wooley’s answer and asserted that both answers were wrong.
“She told anyone who said fact or opinion is wrong and that God is only a myth. She started telling kids that they were completely wrong and when kids would argue she had told them that we would get in trouble,” Wooley said in a statement.
Jordan’s mother, Chantel Wooley, filed a complaint to West Memorial Junior High’s principal Monday afternoon. Jordan also reported her complaint to the Katy Independent School District (ISD) and testified at Katy ISD’s Board of Education meeting on Monday night.
Katy ISD released a statement on Tuesday to clarify that the context of the assignment was to foster critical thinking and meaningful dialogue, not to question any students’ religious beliefs.
“Still this does not excuse the fact that this ungraded activity was ill-conceived and because of that, its intent had been misconstrued,” the district said.
Jordan, however, maintains that the assignment was graded and she would have had to go against her faith in order to pass the assignment.
“The school regrets any misconceptions that may have resulted from this teacher-developed classroom activity and assures its school community that the religious beliefs of all students and staff are welcomed and valued at Memorial Junior High,” the statement concluded.
