Indiana elementary school student isolated from other children due to his lack of faith in God.

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

A lawsuit recently filed against a teacher at Forest Park Elementary School in Indiana alleged that a 7-year-old student was “banished” from sitting with other students at lunch after he revealed that he did not believe in God. 

According to the lawsuit obtained by The Washington Post, second grade teacher Michelle Myer interrogated the student, who was identified with the initials A.B., about his religious beliefs after he told his classmates on the playground that he did not go to church because he did not believe in God. 

As a result, the child was ordered to sit by himself during lunch for a three-day period. 

“The defendant’s actions caused great distress to A.B. and resulted in the child being ostracized by his peers past the three-day ‘banishment.'” 

“Ms. Meyer asked A.B. if he had told the girl that he did not believe in God and A.B. said he had and asked what he had done wrong,” the lawsuit explained. “Ms. Meyer asked A.B. if he went to church, whether his family went to church, and whether his mother knew how he felt about God… She also asked A.B. if he believed that maybe God exists.” 

Several days later, Meyer sent A.B. to talk to another adult at the school, who “reinforced his feeling that he had done something very wrong,” the lawsuit said. 

“On the day of the incident and for an additional two days thereafter, Ms. Meyer required that A.B. sit by himself during lunch and told him he should not talk to the other students and stated that this was because he had offended them. This served to reinforce A.B.’s feeling that he had committed some transgression that justified his exclusion.”

Of course this resulted in the child forming negative feelings about school and growing anxious about attending, as he felt both the teachers and children hated him. 

This story really hits me where I live since I went through a similar situation when I was about seven years old as well.

In my case I was ostracized by the other kids, and felt isolated and unwelcome for most of that year.

The next year I learned to keep my opinions to myself.

As you can see that did not last. 

Of course this is just one of the consequences facing those of us who use logic and critical thinking skills to navigate life, instead of relying on the comfort of ancient superstitions.