High School Student Suspended For Saying ‘Bless You’

[ELVIS]

DYER COUNTY, Tenn. (CBS Charlotte) – A high school student was allegedly suspended after breaking a class rule of saying “bless you” after a classmate sneezed.

Kendra Turner, a senior at Dyer County High School, said bless you to her classmate who sneezed and the teacher told her that the term was for church.

“She said that we’re not going to have godly speaking in her class and that’s when I said we have a constitutional right,” Turner told WMC.

When she defended her actions, the teacher told Turner to see an administrator. The student said that she had to finish the class period in in-school suspension.

The girl’s parents were told by school leaders that their daughter shouted “bless you” across the room and that it was a classroom distraction.

School officials told her parents Tuesday that the teacher claimed that their daughter was aggressive and disruptive.

But Becky Winegardner, Turner’s youth pastor, disagrees with the school’s actions of in-class suspension.

“There were several students that were talking about this particular faculty member there that was very demeaning to them in regard to their faith,” Winegardner told WMC. “This was something that had come up previously in the last few weeks just since the beginning of school and I shared with all of those students what their rights were.”

WMC reported that there are other expressions that are banned as part of class rules and they are listed on the teacher’s white board along with “bless you.”

Some of Turner’s classmates supported her Tuesday by wearing hand made bless you shirts. She explained that she doesn’t want trouble for her teacher but that she’ll stand up for her faith no matter what.

“It’s alright to defend God and it’s our constitutional right because we have a freedom of religion and freedom of speech,” Turner told WMC.

[twonabomber]

Freedom of religion, or freedom FROM religion?

[Seshmeister]

This whole story is based on a Facebook post by a teenage girl.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/08/19/did-a-high-school-student-really-get-suspended-for-responding-to-a-sneeze-with-bless-you/

[twonabomber]

[ELVIS]Facebook is the DEVIL!!!![/ELVIS]

[DONNIEP]

I had almost the exact thing happen to me in ninth grade. No shit. I was in Mrs. Curley's algebra class, mean old bitch and a member of MY church since before I was born. So one day this kid sneezes and I said "bless you", not trying to be all holy rolly or anything, just a polite kid's normal response. And this old cunt raised total hell at me and told me I'd have to write like a thousand times I will not talk in Mrs. Curley's class room. So I told her I wasn't gonna write sentences for saying "bless you" to somebody just cause they sneezed. Of course, I got sent up to the office, as usual. The assistant principal was cool and said he'd take care of it. I never did have to write those sentences. And that old bitch just died last year. Good riddance.

Now, the broader issue here is that any teacher who behaves like that is a cock sucker. I have a kid in school and I expect her to follow every damn rule there is. But saying "bless you" when somebody sneezes? Give me a fucking break. If a teacher gets all pissed about that then he or she is in the wrong line of work. That kind of overreacting is bullshit and has no place in school. And before anybody says "But what if every kid says 'bless you' when somebody sneezes???" Then good. They at least learned some manners. And the teachers can all go get fucked.

[Seshmeister]

[ELVIS]Facebook is the DEVIL!!!![/ELVIS]

It's pretty ironic that the guy that hates facebook and girls so much posts this.

Then again checking stories before pasting them here never occurs to him.

[Seshmeister]

But saying "bless you" when somebody sneezes? Give me a fucking break. If a teacher gets all pissed about that then he or she is in the wrong line of work. That kind of overreacting is bullshit and has no place in school. And before anybody says "But what if every kid says 'bless you' when somebody sneezes???" Then good. They at least learned some manners. And the teachers can all go get fucked.

According to the school the class was supposed to be quiet. Someone sneezed. Turner said *something* in response (it doesn’t matter what) and the teacher asked her to be quiet. Turner took that as a knock on her faith and felt the need to defend against it. The teacher only saw this as a further disruption and the situation escalated. The student, clearly frustrated, ran out of the classroom and, not long after that, posted something on Facebook.

This is beyond a non story. I wouldn't be interested if this happened in my kids class never mind in Tuna Fish Wyoming.

[DONNIEP]

Let me put it this way, if that teacher was in a continuing ed class with other 30somethings and the person next to her sneezed, don't you think she'd probably say bless you or gesundheil or whatever it is people say? Of course she would.

Bottom line is it sounds like the teacher is a cunt. Only a fucking moron would put 27 teenage kids in a room and expect none of them to ever speak. And it sounds like the kid is a fucking drama queen. Because only a fucking idiot would think being told to be quiet was a knock against her faith. I say the two of them are made for each other.

Class dismissed.

[ELVIS]

The teacher only saw this as a further disruption and the situation escalated.

Oh really, Mr fly on the wall ??

This is beyond a non story. I wouldn't be interested if this happened in my kids class never mind in Tuna Fish Wyoming.

Then shaddup...

[twonabomber]

Let me put it this way, if that teacher was in a continuing ed class with other 30somethings and the person next to her sneezed, don't you think she'd probably say bless you or gesundheil or whatever it is people say? Of course she would.

I don't say anything after someone sneezes. Someone at work called me out on it, for not saying "bless you," and I said I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

I go to work to work, not to be blindsided by someone's message. I don't want to see Bibles in the breakroom, I don't want to hear some asshole preaching. Especially when the guy preaching is known for stealing other people's food out of the fridge.

[DONNIEP]

I don't say anything after someone sneezes. Someone at work called me out on it, for not saying "bless you," and I said I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

I go to work to work, not to be blindsided by someone's message. I don't want to see Bibles in the breakroom, I don't want to hear some asshole preaching. Especially when the guy preaching is known for stealing other people's food out of the fridge.

Oh man, that's like one of the things that pisses me off the most - somebody stealing food out of the fridge. If you can't put your damn lunch in the fridge without having to worry about some idiot stealing it then there's a problem. I say that's a fireable offense right there.

[DONNIEP]

The whole "bless you" thing is kinda funny, actually. I read somewhere that it got started back in the Middle Ages or something and people said it to one another after they sneezed because they were afraid evil spirits could enter your body when you sneezed.

[vandeleur]

The whole "bless you" thing is kinda funny, actually. I read somewhere that it got started back in the Middle Ages or something and people said it to one another after they sneezed because they were afraid evil spirits could enter your body when you sneezed.

It was to do with the plague as sneezing was the first sign , by the way you are American .the middle ages were about 1900

[PETE'S BROTHER]

Oh man, that's like one of the things that pisses me off the most - somebody stealing food out of the fridge. If you can't put your damn lunch in the fridge without having to worry about some idiot stealing it then there's a problem. I say that's a fireable offense right there.

that's why i have my own fridge at work...

[Seshmeister]