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Teaching assistant quit in protest at Harry Potter
by Clare Dyer, Guardian
Thanks to Rob Ives for the link.
Reposted from:
http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2098322,00.html
A Pentecostal teaching assistant who quit her job at a foundation primary school after she was disciplined for refusing to hear a child read a Harry Potter book is seeking compensation for religious discrimination. She claimed that the book glorified witchcraft.
Sariya Allen, whose case is expected to end today at the south London employment tribunal in Croydon, claims Durand primary school in Stockwell discriminated against her as a born-again Christian and put her at a disadvantage compared with teaching assistants who were not of her faith. After three years in the job, she quit in July and is now jobless.
JK Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter series has been widely criticised by evangelical Christian groups as glorifying witchcraft, contrary to the Bible's teachings.
Ms Allen, 47, said the mother of a seven-year-old girl who was a fluent reader had complained to the girl's teacher that the book Ms Allen had given her was too easy.
The girl then chose a Harry Potter book from her reading folder, but Ms Allen refused to listen to her reading it because God had stated in the Bible that witchcraft was "an abomination", she told the Guardian yesterday. "The girl went home and told her mum. I also had told the teacher that I objected to hearing that book read because of my faith," Ms Allen said.
She claims that at a subsequent meeting, the first assistant headteacher, Mark McLaughlin, criticised her as "obstructive" for refusing to hear the child read the book. She also claims he "rubbished" her faith and made disparaging remarks about Christian assemblies in schools. "He was saying it's just my interpretation of the Bible and my view. He said 'these are your views and you're a minority because of these'. He thought I was quite extreme because I'm a born-again Christian. I'm a committed Christian," she said.
Ms Allen, from Stockwell, said her problems with the school started when the Department for Education issued guidance that teaching assistants had to wear gloves when administering first aid. She pointed out that there were no gloves and asked when they would be provided.
She is being represented at the tribunal by Andrew Otchie, a barrister who was a candidate for the Christian Peoples Alliance in the 2005 general election. He said her "novel and interesting" case was one of a very few to allege religious discrimination against a Christian since the regulations banning discrimination on faith grounds came into force in 2003.
Mr McLaughlin, who gave evidence yesterday, told the tribunal that the school took the view that it was right to discipline Ms Allen for refusing to listen to a child reading a Harry Potter book.
The school, which did not return the Guardian's calls, denies that Ms Allen was subjected to discrimination because of her faith. Durand is run by a not-for-profit company, London Horizons, and is free of local authority control.
Reposted from:
http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2098322,00.html
A Pentecostal teaching assistant who quit her job at a foundation primary school after she was disciplined for refusing to hear a child read a Harry Potter book is seeking compensation for religious discrimination. She claimed that the book glorified witchcraft.
Sariya Allen, whose case is expected to end today at the south London employment tribunal in Croydon, claims Durand primary school in Stockwell discriminated against her as a born-again Christian and put her at a disadvantage compared with teaching assistants who were not of her faith. After three years in the job, she quit in July and is now jobless.
JK Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter series has been widely criticised by evangelical Christian groups as glorifying witchcraft, contrary to the Bible's teachings.
Ms Allen, 47, said the mother of a seven-year-old girl who was a fluent reader had complained to the girl's teacher that the book Ms Allen had given her was too easy.
The girl then chose a Harry Potter book from her reading folder, but Ms Allen refused to listen to her reading it because God had stated in the Bible that witchcraft was "an abomination", she told the Guardian yesterday. "The girl went home and told her mum. I also had told the teacher that I objected to hearing that book read because of my faith," Ms Allen said.
She claims that at a subsequent meeting, the first assistant headteacher, Mark McLaughlin, criticised her as "obstructive" for refusing to hear the child read the book. She also claims he "rubbished" her faith and made disparaging remarks about Christian assemblies in schools. "He was saying it's just my interpretation of the Bible and my view. He said 'these are your views and you're a minority because of these'. He thought I was quite extreme because I'm a born-again Christian. I'm a committed Christian," she said.
Ms Allen, from Stockwell, said her problems with the school started when the Department for Education issued guidance that teaching assistants had to wear gloves when administering first aid. She pointed out that there were no gloves and asked when they would be provided.
She is being represented at the tribunal by Andrew Otchie, a barrister who was a candidate for the Christian Peoples Alliance in the 2005 general election. He said her "novel and interesting" case was one of a very few to allege religious discrimination against a Christian since the regulations banning discrimination on faith grounds came into force in 2003.
Mr McLaughlin, who gave evidence yesterday, told the tribunal that the school took the view that it was right to discipline Ms Allen for refusing to listen to a child reading a Harry Potter book.
The school, which did not return the Guardian's calls, denies that Ms Allen was subjected to discrimination because of her faith. Durand is run by a not-for-profit company, London Horizons, and is free of local authority control.
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Posted: Friday, June 8, 2007 | PermalinkComments 1 - 50 of 52 |
Reload Comments | Back to Top | Page Numbers2. Comment #48659 by Rtambree on June 8, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Is this another Onion article? Enough already.http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news1199/potter.html
Other Comments by Rtambree
3. Comment #48682 by konquererz on June 8, 2007 at 5:32 pm
I hope that she does not win this case. This is simply ludicrous, to be in a public school and refuse to listen to a child read (it is about children learning after all) because the book is full of "witchcraft" unacceptable. She needs to be shown that her beliefs have NO place in schools, in any form! Other Comments by konquererz
4. Comment #48693 by Celandine on June 8, 2007 at 5:56 pm
It's pathetic that a grown woman can't distinguish between fiction and reality. Of course if she's a born-again Christian (and a Bible literalist perhaps?), then I suppose it's not surprising that that is the case. Presumably she also considers the Bible to be non-fiction, when that's demonstrably untrue.Other Comments by Celandine
5. Comment #48703 by GodlessHeathen on June 8, 2007 at 6:44 pm
The girl then chose a Harry Potter book from her reading folderSo, she knew she'd have to face that book at some point, and did nothing? One of the problems with Christians are so many are eager to be "martyrs"... "Iz deeescrimination!"
Other Comments by GodlessHeathen
6. Comment #48706 by Sittingduck on June 8, 2007 at 6:49 pm
One wonders if she fears that her head would explode should she hear something contrary to her faith... Other Comments by Sittingduck
7. Comment #48707 by cfalchen on June 8, 2007 at 6:59 pm
darn witches, always causing trouble Other Comments by cfalchen
8. Comment #48717 by newcomer on June 8, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Every teaching professional should be familiar with at least five other religions not including their own. What do you think anybody?Other Comments by newcomer
9. Comment #48720 by Dr Benway on June 8, 2007 at 8:01 pm
I wonder what this woman imagined would happen if a seven year old were to read a few sentences from Harry Potter out loud. Snakes slithering up through the floor? Demon possession? Does Harry Potter make the baby Jesus cry?Someone tell the woman, "Did you know that the word 'gullible' isn't in the dictionary?"
What's left of children's literature without magic powers, talking animals, and impossible events? Clearly CS Lewis is right out, as is Tolkien. Guess you can keep Old Yeller.
However we survived the "Dungeons and Dragons is of the devil" problem back in the 1970s, maybe we can apply those lessons to the current crisis.
Other Comments by Dr Benway
10. Comment #48733 by Satanburiedfossils on June 8, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Speaking of abominations...If she is indeed a God-fearing Xtian, she is no doubt aware of the follow passage (emphasis added):
1 Timothy 2:11-12 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
Other Comments by Satanburiedfossils
11. Comment #48737 by bouwe on June 8, 2007 at 9:59 pm
My faith in flying teapots forbids me from allowing children to do algebra. They told me I had to allow it. I have been persecuted for my religious beliefs!!!All my immediate family are fundies. I thought my younger sister was the least conservative, almost "alternative" in her outlook. I thought there was some hope. Then one day her daughter casually mentioned that mummy doesn't allow her to read Harry Potter because it is evil. A sad state of affairs.
"Hansel and Gretel" is presumably okay because the witch gets burnt in the end. Good moral instruction for god-fearing Christians (or should that be witch-fearing?)
Other Comments by bouwe
12. Comment #48741 by Planeten Paultje on June 8, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Apart from the not-wanting-to-hear-HP-being-read sillyness, I can relate to the first-aid-glove part of the story as a typical thing someone working in education can be confronted with. Other Comments by Planeten Paultje
13. Comment #48750 by EnsilZah on June 9, 2007 at 1:27 am
Aren't witches the ones being discriminated against in this case?And wouldn't her winning create a precedent for other teaching assistants refusing to hear Christian nonsense in their classrooms?
Other Comments by EnsilZah
14. Comment #48757 by padster1976 on June 9, 2007 at 2:08 am
So her beliefs are ahead of a childs development?Her colleague was right - she is an extremist. Is she feels strongly enough that witchcraft is an abomination, then she will probably agree that those practising is should be put to death.
And she has access to children?
So does she object to RE lessons when Sikhism, Buddhism and Islam et al are discussed?
Other Comments by padster1976
15. Comment #48760 by Logicel on June 9, 2007 at 2:16 am
How oppressive this Christian's life is: she must be constantly on the alert for committing grievances against her faith-based beliefs. She probably doesn't even take Sunday off from doing this, not a day of rest from this self-induced prison of fear and loathing in which she houses her mind and emotions.I regard this court case as being important, as it is providing an opportunity to set a crucial precedent regarding what the relevant legislation really means.
Other Comments by Logicel
16. Comment #48762 by Rtambree on June 9, 2007 at 2:26 am
9. Comment #48720 by Dr Benway>Clearly CS Lewis is right out, as is Tolkien
Yes, that Balrog in Moria is pretty demonic.
Many mainstream western movies and TV shows contain supernatural elements in them - ghosts, psychic powers, ESP, etc. Surely this is unchristian too and must be avoided.
Other Comments by Rtambree
17. Comment #48764 by pewkatchoo on June 9, 2007 at 2:37 am
I would ban Harry Potter from being read full stop. It is boring old tat! The works of Alan Garner are much better. Other Comments by pewkatchoo
18. Comment #48768 by epeeist on June 9, 2007 at 2:46 am
Comment #48762 by Rtambree
Many mainstream western movies and TV shows contain supernatural elements in them - ghosts, psychic powers, ESP, etc. Surely this is unchristian too and must be avoided.
You are assuming that she actually has a TV. Also, that she looks at newspapers that include horoscopes, goes to bookshops that include books by Steven King or record shops that have CDs by Ozzy Osbourne
Comment #48764 by pewkatchoo
I would ban Harry Potter from being read full stop. It is boring old tat! The works of Alan Garner are much better.
Give that man a star! I have to agree, especially as I live about 3 miles from Alderley Edge.
Other Comments by epeeist
19. Comment #48769 by The Flying Trilobite on June 9, 2007 at 2:54 am
pewkatchoo: you are right. The Weirdstone of Brisengamen and The Moon of Gomrath are haunting. Alan Garner is an exceptional writer. The idea of the Brollachan used to keep me up at night trying to picture something darker than darkness...It's interesting to note that the Harry Potter books steer completely away from any talk of religious faiths when Muggles are brought up. I wonder if Arthur Weaseley would be fascinated by transubstantiation, or appalled?
For that matter, I notice that the spells in the Potter books don't invoke any kind of deities. Most of the magic works through mystical herbs, and incantations and gestures. But they don't invoke specific spirits or demons. Quite different from Wicca.
Other Comments by The Flying Trilobite
20. Comment #48770 by pewkatchoo on June 9, 2007 at 3:04 am
The Wierdstone was my favourite story growing up. The Beeb dramatised it for radio and it enthralled me listening to it. I bought my daughter and son the books and they prefer them to Harry Potter. I even re-read them myself to remind me what was the fascination. Other Comments by pewkatchoo
21. Comment #48773 by epeeist on June 9, 2007 at 3:18 am
Comment #48770 by pewkatchoo The Wierdstone was my favourite story growing up.
One of the favourites of my two daughters too. So much so that we had one of their birthday parties actually down one of the old mine workings just across the road from the Edge.
I will have to see if I can put some pictures from the locations mentioned in the book on my web site.
Other Comments by epeeist
22. Comment #48775 by DavidMcC on June 9, 2007 at 3:20 am
Poor Ms Allen! But the only difference between her magical hero and those in Harry Potter is that no-one pretends that the latter are real. Other Comments by DavidMcC
23. Comment #48778 by PaulJ on June 9, 2007 at 3:27 am
I think Christians are justified in their fear of Harry Potter; more power to J. K. Rowling for showing children another set of weird beliefs (with about as much credence as some others).(more here)
Other Comments by PaulJ
24. Comment #48819 by bluebird on June 9, 2007 at 6:06 am
Reminds us of Ms. Mallory (state of Georgia)who recently said she wanted HP books removed from public school libraries and "may take her case to federal court".
BTW, Harry Potter theme park is due to open in Florida 2009.
Other Comments by bluebird
25. Comment #48824 by phasmagigas on June 9, 2007 at 6:20 am
Allen may have been influenced by that nasty woman in bible camp, she didnt like potter either. Other Comments by phasmagigas
26. Comment #48831 by the great teapot on June 9, 2007 at 6:40 am
I hope she wins her case. Before you know it there will be people flying around on broomsticks everywhere, car sales will plummet, CO2 emissions will drop and we will never see that mediterranean climate in the UK we have been promised. Good luck to her. Tax payers money well spent.Other Comments by the great teapot
27. Comment #48854 by MAS2007 on June 9, 2007 at 7:46 am
23. Comment #48778 by PaulJ on June 9, 2007 at 3:27 am I think Christians are justified in their fear of Harry Potter; more power to J. K. Rowling for showing children another set of weird beliefs (with about as much credence as some others).
(more here)
From link:
"Book burning: A christian tradition"
The problem is they are not burning the right books i.e. bible, Koran.
From web site:
All True Christians™ believe that Harry Potter books challenge both saved and unsaved children to create demonically inspired worlds in their innocent little heads.
As opposed to their book ( babel ) of demonically inspired worlds. Corrupting their innocent little heads.
How do you determine which group a child belongs to in the first place. But wait, why should you even give a shit about such bollocks?
An aside where the hell are all the FALSE Christians {not sure why the c is capitalized}?
Someone should call the asylum and tell them Allen is out again.
Other Comments by MAS2007
28. Comment #48858 by Funny Grievous on June 9, 2007 at 8:07 am
The only reason she wants to ban HP is because it goes against the rules of the christian bible. Hello?!?! not everybody is a christian like you! And even then, I know a girl at my school who is a proud christian, yet she is madly in love with the HP books! Banning them would do no good. Other Comments by Funny Grievous
29. Comment #48868 by _J_ on June 9, 2007 at 8:53 am
10. Comment #48733 by Satanburiedfossils:1 Timothy 2:11-12 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
Well done, sir! You've saved me a visit to the Skeptics' Annotated Bible, there.
What a silly, silly, silly woman, by the way.
As a contribution to the ongoing Children's Books That Are Better Than Harry Potter conversation: I guess what she needs is one in which the 'magic' is derived more from either science or, better still, from Christian literary precedents. Or both. So, the His Dark Materials trilogy, perhaps...?
Other Comments by _J_
30. Comment #48870 by Corylus on June 9, 2007 at 9:12 am
Well, I have to 'fess up here. I love Harry Potter and I feel no shame. RDnet is getting no comments out of me for a few days when that last book comes out. I'm reading!I do take peoples point, though that we should take this opportunity to lobby for children to have a wide range of pagan/wiccan/ subversive literature to hand, rather than just Rowling. Variety is the key.
I myself am voting for Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence and Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea books.
Other Comments by Corylus
31. Comment #48871 by Bonzai on June 9, 2007 at 9:27 am
This is surreal. She doesn't like HP because what another fiction says about magic. People are wierd.Other Comments by Bonzai
32. Comment #48916 by Dr Benway on June 9, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Bonzai:This is surreal. She doesn't like HP because what another fiction says about magic.Supersurreal, as magic is a load of poo.
Other Comments by Dr Benway
33. Comment #48925 by scottishgeologist on June 9, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Note that this woman is described as "Pentecostal" in other words the absolute worst of the worst deluded.Even the Christian preacher Campbell Morgan descried pentecostalism as "the last vomit of satan" Actually, Morgan was wrong. Vomit comes form the stomach. This worst possible manifestation of the delusion is straight from the rectum... Except satan doesnt exist, so he cant have a rectum......
Stupid bitch should stop and think (if that is possible) about what JK Rowling has actually achieved. She has produced huge tomes which kids AVIDLY read. Yes read. Not "sit in front of the TV",not "play video games", not "hang around on corners" but actually READ.
So what is this nutjob into then? After all these pentecostalists are into all sorts of crap: "speaking in tongues"? "prophesying"? "fake, sorry, faith healing"? rolling around the floor like a dipstick? Casting out demons? Holding her hands aloft as she is worked up into an altered state of consciousness by some "praise band" churning out inane repetitive childish drivel?
Give me Harry Potter any day. Actually, those of you who mnetioned Alan Garner are spot on. Man's a genius. Did anyone EVER properly understand his "The Owl Service" .Huge chunks of it up on Youtube if you care to look!
Other Comments by scottishgeologist
34. Comment #49029 by RabbitDynamite on June 10, 2007 at 3:36 am
Because everyone needs a good laugh and it's vaguely the same breed of fundamentalist occult paranoia....http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp
Other Comments by RabbitDynamite
35. Comment #49033 by pewkatchoo on June 10, 2007 at 3:47 am
RabbitDynamitePure dead brilliant! The more sites like this I see the more I understand just how braindead is religion.
Other Comments by pewkatchoo
36. Comment #49053 by rokort on June 10, 2007 at 5:38 am
I think it's time to sue the church for obstructing atheists to read about non-existing deities. They should understand how logic this sounds. Other Comments by rokort
37. Comment #49055 by epeeist on June 10, 2007 at 5:48 am
Comment #49053 by rokort I think it's time to sue the church for obstructing atheists to read about non-existing deities.
Instead of the church sueing for a fantasy game that "uses" one of its locations you mean - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6738309.stm
Other Comments by epeeist
38. Comment #49060 by bouwe on June 10, 2007 at 6:52 am
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.aspHey RabbitDynamite, that sure is brilliant satire -- that guy is a genius!!!
Wait a minute......ummm, rrr.....oh Jesus, we're in deep shit!!!
Other Comments by bouwe
39. Comment #49067 by appaZ on June 10, 2007 at 7:23 am
G'day folks, ( my first posting )The mere fact that Ms Allen deems it necessary to seek legal approval for her fear of nothing more than the spoken word, ( sticks and stones can break my bones ) and by a child no less, is in all seriousness......... Laughable.
The child that she claims is liable for her misery, if all goes well, will not hear of this lunacy ( The lunacy that Ms Allen may well need unspecified damages for ) until she reaches an age where, unlike Ms Allen, she has a certain amount of scope to view things with a little more objectivity and a little less __________ ( you can fill in the space )
Other Comments by appaZ
40. Comment #49069 by BAEOZ on June 10, 2007 at 7:30 am
with a little more objectivity and a little less
Ok, you used G'day, so I'm presuming here, but would you say she's a few sandwiches short of the picknick? or a few VB's short of a slab. Just localizing here...
Other Comments by BAEOZ
41. Comment #49071 by bouwe on June 10, 2007 at 7:37 am
Comment #49067:G'day folks, ( my first posting )Welcome aboard appaZ virgin poster. In a less enlightened age, virgins were sacrificed to the volcano-god. However with people of Ms Allen's ilk we may soon be returning to a New Dark Age.
Other Comments by bouwe
42. Comment #49096 by Krister Bratland on June 10, 2007 at 9:38 am
Only a religious person could take a work of fiction that seriously...Krister
Other Comments by Krister Bratland
43. Comment #49132 by John Phillips on June 10, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Only a religious person could take a work of fiction that seriously...
Krister
ROTFLMAO
Other Comments by John Phillips
44. Comment #49171 by scottbly on June 10, 2007 at 7:29 pm
great teapot,regarding "we will never see that mediterranean climate in the UK we have been promised", your logic is flawed as global warming would likely shut off the Atlantic conveyor resulting in drastically colder climes for the UK. duh.
Other Comments by scottbly
45. Comment #49198 by Krister Bratland on June 11, 2007 at 1:28 am
Mr scottblyThis is not Mr G. Teapot's logic, he is being sarcastic. If people took up broomstick flying instead of driving their cars, pollution would probably be history.
What remains to be seen now is wether I can make my broomstick fly if I only pretend hard enough, I'll report back later with my progress.
Krister
Other Comments by Krister Bratland
46. Comment #49255 by chezzyd on June 11, 2007 at 7:17 am
I don't agree with this teacher's views at all, and I hope the case got thrown out. However I do object to the rather nasty anti-woman comments on this page that serve no purpose whatsoever, such as 'Stupid bitch' and quoting 1 Timothy 2:11-12Think before you write please or be accused of the same kind of breathtaking prejudice and inanity you despise in religious folk.
Other Comments by chezzyd
47. Comment #49261 by pewkatchoo on June 11, 2007 at 7:50 am
chezzydFairynuff, but I think that the posters making reference to Timothy were simply pointing out the paradox, hypocrisy even, implicit in the teacher's stated position. And there is no doubting her stupidity. Those kids are much better off without teachers like this in charge of their education.
Other Comments by pewkatchoo
48. Comment #49265 by Russell Blackford on June 11, 2007 at 8:02 am
Will this "witchcraft" foolishness in the US school system never end? Grrrr, this is a pet hate of mine.I can tell you for a fact that this incident is not an aberration. A lot of fantasy material never even gets written because there are publishers of fiction who market to the Americsn school systems and whose guidelines to potential authors include "no witchcraft" (read "nothing like magic - no sorcerers, magicians, blah, blah, of any kind"). I've fallen afoul of this in a small way, myself. It's not as important an issue as the attempts to subvert biology teaching, but nor is it trivial. These wingnuts are actually having some success in keeping harmless fantasy material (material that that is likely to encourage kids to read) out of American schools.
Other Comments by Russell Blackford
49. Comment #49274 by JorgeGreene on June 11, 2007 at 9:15 am
To Russell Blackford: Can you expand on your comments about school book publisher guidelines? My wife has been trying to publish her children's stories and says she has never seen these particular guidelines you speak of. Any details appreciated.Other Comments by JorgeGreene
50. Comment #49370 by couldbethelasttime on June 11, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Top 10 titles (July 2001-July 2002) borrowed from UK librariesChildren's Fiction
1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, JK Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, JK Rowling (paperback)
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, JK Rowling (hardback)
6. Lizzie Zipmouth, Jacqueline Wilson
7. The Story of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
8. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
9. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
10. Glubbslyme, Jacqueline Wilson
source:http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/Database/stats/popular.html
arrrgh, close all the libraries quick, it appears the devil has all the best books!
Other Comments by couldbethelasttime
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1. Comment #48658 by bruce on June 8, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I just don't know how Christians are able to survive all this discrimination. Maybe some day they will have enough political power to vote fellow Christians into office and help them push through their religious agenda. It must suck to be a religious minority. Christian, the new Black.Other Comments by bruce