Jason Storms is both an “pro-life” activist who thinks a woman who has an abortion is as “guilty as a murderer“… and a guy who got hired as a substitute teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools.
That might not be a problem as long as he kept his views to himself, but Storms bragged on Facebook earlier this year that on his first day of subbing, he preached in front of the classroom “while the state paid me.”
He added that he hoped to do that “a couple times a month.”
Not long after he posted that, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to the superintendent calling for more scrutiny for all substitutes and urging them to get rid of Storms.
“It is unconstitutional and completely inappropriate for a public school teacher, even a substitute, to ‘share [his religious] testimony,’ ‘preach the gospel,’ or seek to ‘make disciples’ in the classroom,” writes FFRF Staff Attorney Ryan Jayne to Superintendent Darienne Driver. “Parents expect that public school teachers will act in accordance with the Constitution and refrain from proselytizing students.”
FFRF is insisting that if Milwaukee Public Schools is allowing substitute teachers into the classroom without being informed of their constitutional obligations under the First Amendment, this must be rectified immediately.
However, FFRF emphasizes that even if Storms was not properly trained in this area, his bragging about preaching to students “for hours, while the state paid [him],” and his open “disgust with the public education system,” demonstrate that he is not suited to be a Milwaukee Public Schools substitute teacher.
As for Storms, he quickly backtracked on his comments saying he never preached in the classroom and that, even if he did, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.
Here are the facts. I have taught at two public charter schools in Milwaukee. I did not engage in proselytizing. I never attempted to get any child to join my church or convert to my particular denomination. I did not break the law. There is nothing illegal or unconstitutional with a teacher sharing their personal story or discussing their faith with students in a non-coercive manner. (In fact, public schools explicitly taught the precepts of Christianity for 150 years, and then men who penned the First Amendment encouraged this.)
So he shared his faith without giving students his business card… and he thinks that’s appropriate?! No! There’s no reason he should have been sharing his testimony at all.
Read the full story at The Friendly Atheist
