Nasty battle over religion in NJ school

(Kearny, New Jersey - WABC, February 20, 2007) (WABC) -- An age-old battle over religion in schools played out in Kearny, New Jersey on Tuesday night.

This all began a couple of months ago when a 16-year-old student thought his teacher was teaching inappropriate material in class. So he brought a tape recorder in to prove it.

On Tuesday night, the Kearny Board of Education adopted a policy saying there's no teaching religion in school. But it wasn't really about that. It was about a chance for everyone involved to vent.

It was fitting that the Kearny Board of Education's meeting began with the word 'God,' because it's all anybody here wanted to talk about.

"Let me ask you a question, would Jesus do what you're doing?" one protestor said.

It was a fiery debate about the separation of church and state started by 16-year-old Matthew LaClair says his history teacher, David Paszkiewicz, pushed his Christian beliefs on students in class -- and even said if you don't believe in Jesus you're going to hell. Matthew tape recorded the conversation:

On the tape:

Mr. Paszkiewicz: "He did everything in his power to make sure that you could go to heaven, so much so, that he put your sin in his own body, suffered your pains for you, and he's saying 'Please accept me, believe!' You reject that, you belong in hell."

"I wasn't preaching. The discussion was pretty much driven by students' interest," Paszkiewicz said.

There was tons of support for the teacher by students, parents and his mother-in-law.

"I would never set any person up on any case. I did not make him say that if you don't believe in what he believes in you belong in hell," Matthew said.

In the end, the board adopted a policy of no religion to be taught in schools, the teacher keeps his job and apparently a civil relationship with his accuser.

Along with adopting that policy, the board has already said that students can no longer tape class unless they ask for permission first. By the way, the LaClair's have already taken the first step to file a lawsuit.

Get more News »

• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•