Public High School suspends girl for refusing to pray

[Ian David]

Tue November 22, 2005
Reason for suspension debated

By Ron Jackson
The Oklahoman

HARDESTY - A 15-year-old girl was suspended from Hardesty High School for five days because she refused to recite a post-game prayer with her basketball team, her mother told The Oklahoman on Monday.

Hardesty Superintendent David Brewer said the claim is "not accurate." Brewer declined to comment further because of a pending federal lawsuit filed in May by the girl's family against the school district.

Regardless of why, Nicole Smalkowski will not be allowed to return to school until Dec. 1.

"They told my daughter that another girl told them she threatened to kill someone," said Nadia Smalkowski, Nicole's mother.

More:
http://www.newsok.com/xml/rss/1684529/



Also:

Sheriff called to Hardesty School

By SARAH LEWERS/Daily Herald Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 23, 2005 2:39 PM CST

<snip>

Nadia Smalkowski told the The Oklahoman her daughter, Nicole Smalkowski, was suspended because the girl refused to recite a prayer with her team following basketball games, the newspaper reported.
<snip>


“All I know is we had to go over and standby while they expelled one of the students,” Peoples said. “I don't really think they want to draw a lot of attention to it.”

Peoples said a violation of a school policy formed the basis of the incident.

<snip>

Nadia Smalkowski also told The Oklahoman her family “has been called names because we don't go to church,” the newspaper reported.

This is not the first time the Smalkowski's have clashed with local authorities.

Aggravated assault and battery charges are pending against Chester Smalkowski, Jr., the girl's father, who allegedly assaulted former Hardesty Principal Lloyd Buckley.

More:
http://www.gdherald.com/articles/2005/11/23/news/news01.txt


Also:
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:SK_yEtEKX8UJ:www.hardesty.k12.ok.us/administration/board/minutes/index.htm+%22Nicole+Smalkowski%22&hl=en

[stepnw1f]

1. Incredible...

why do right wing nazis hate America?

[crankybubba]

2. It should be noted that

I live near there and the girls father is going to trial for aggravated assault on the former high schoolprincipal. There is more here than is being said. I smell a distraction tactic/

[iamjoy]

5. He Shouldn't Have Done That

if indeed the father did assault the man, that was wrong and distracts from the possible real issue here.

But, we only know what the media tells us, and how it gets spun.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Maybe

Please keep us posted. But still she shouldn't have been suspended for not praying! I thought they couldn't lead a prayer in school anymore anyways?

[seabeyond]

14. i guess we need to know why a father would attack a principle

seeing how they are stating the issue of these kids not going to church has been an issue there.

why would a father attack a principle. hhhhmmmm..... could it be, because a bunch of christians were being ugly to his child. i dont know

but because a father goes after a principle doesnt necessarily clear a principle. there has to be a reason

i would certainly argue violence isnt an acceptable answer.....

on edit: i live kinda close to hardesty. heard it on our news a couple days ago. they simply stated girl was suspended because she refused to pray. but yes. there is more to the story

[serryjw]

42. My question also

WHY would a father do this? Keep us posted

[RobinA]

33. Absolutely

I find it highly unlikely that someone would be suspended from a public school for refusing to pray.

[Initech]

3. This Talibornagain shit is getting way beyond scary.

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[LiberalPartisan]

39. The Handmaid's Tale is becoming reality

which is why it is vital that people get involved locally. The Dover, PA electorate bounced out of office all the iconoclastic morons that were in favor of teaching fantasy as science so defeating this insidious threat to our Republic is possible but it will take a concerted effort. The hypochristians are like roaches - beat them in one community and they rear thier ugly head somewhere else. Vigilance is the watchword. And get involved in excorising the body politic of the cancer that calls itself Evangelical Christianity.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

4. Seems like there is more to this story than we are hearing

[crankybubba]

6. also i personally

know the cops there. the father kicked the former principal in the head and left a real good bootmark on his face from kicking him.

btw I'm an leo at a neighboring agency thats how I know them

[TallahasseeGrannie]

7. It is doubtful to me that anyone, anywhere is stupid

enough to force a child to pray. Sounds like a ruse to me.

[Ian David]

9. It sounds like both sides have issues to deal with...

but regardless of why this happened, neither side should have committed assault, and neither side should have committed public school prayer.

[Ian David]

10. It DOES happen. n/t

[TallahasseeGrannie]

11. I know school prayer still happens

but I'd be amazed if anyone was ignorant enough to force it. But then, I've been surprised at stupidity before.

[MountainLaurel]

16. You're kidding, right?

A good friend of mine attended a public school system -- elementary through high school -- where the kids leave class once a week to attend bible study on a trailer just off the school campus. Those who don't get sent to the library for a couple hours. The reason this topic came up in conversation between us is that the Washington Post wrote an article on this practice, which has become quite contentious as more "outsiders" move in. This is the same school system where my friend had teachers telling her she was going to hell because her family was Unitarian. This woman's best friend is the daughter of a former school superintendent who, when leading a county school system in Jerry Falwell country, tried to stop this same practice in his school system. He received death threats for months, was under VA state police protection for a time, and was attacked in a Burger King parking lot by a local minister.

Meanwhile, there have been lawsuits all over the country from students who were harassed because they were not in the Christian majority: Jews who had "Hitler was right" painted on their locker, a wiccan girl who commited suicide after her classmates taunted her by singing Onward Christian Soldiers at her while the teachers laughed.

Anyone stupid enough to force a child to pray?!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[seabeyond]

20. i live kinda close and as i said in another thread, my 2nd grader

was asked last week what church he goes to. he told me he was the only child that doesnt go to church. so i asked how he knows that. cause the teacher asked what churches everyone goes to.

so now, i get to watch to see if he starts getting attitude from school or teacher or students. i dont think he will, but.....

a couple weeks ago they had to write a nice letter to bush. son could not think of something nice to write so wrote, please stop the war. and then wrote words to green acres.

i told teacher when i picked up, not all of us are repugs, i hope you can still love us, with a big smile

she says, she told him some people that lose are mad (poor losers) and she thought son should see the other side

i let it go

lets see, everyone my kids know are repug. their two schools (one a private christian school) have been repug. my kids see the other side all the time. when are the other 99% going to see the other side

[kevinbgoode]

22. Ah...he sounds like a good kid. . .

if he was a lot older...I'd send him to school with a gay childrens' book to share....and a note to the teacher about how you so much agree that children need to see the "other side..." and that she best get used to the other side because her party is gonna lose real big next year.

Seriously, you should pen a nice note to the superintendent of schools there and suggest that you feel it is an invasion of privacy for a teacher to ask students what "church" they attend...and then look up the religious freedom clause in the Oklahoma constitution to see how it is worded.

[seabeyond]

24. i am living in panhandle of texas, right up against panhandle of okl

but you know, i like that idea sending a good book on gay lifestyle and a note, so children can learn the other side. or even a dem book, and not see the other side, for all the other kids. the thing, i had to fight to get into this school. highest academics in town, by far. and my oldest is a little academic, glasses wearing harry potter type kid. no bullying here. i cant afford to speak up too harshly. if it was a school in my district i could

but, we had that texas vote on gay marriages. had told kids i had to vote against a bill that would put discrimination into our state constitution. my oldest, 10 insisted i tell him who was being discriminated against. so i told him. about a week went by, (same time i heard about the church event with youngest) a group of boys were saying the ugliest of stuff about gays and that vote and protecting marriage. my edmund, lol, says that gay was totally natural and part of god creation adn in all species of animals. just nature. and discrimination of any kind was wrong. and my mom voted against that bill.

no no i tell him, you dont have to speak out, you really dont. (they have been speaking out for a couple years, and seperates them from everyone. they dont have to do this battle, they are kids)

my son said, nah, i wanted to. i was in a rebellious mood.

ok son. whatever you need to do

but i am proud

[TallahasseeGrannie]

21. Well, I have taught in four states in 33 years

and correspond with teachers all over the country online. I am nationally certified and keep up with colleagues who also hold national certs. And I have NEVER heard of forced prayer.

I'm talking official now, like in this case where the child was supposedly suspended. I am sure all those covert pressures exist, even phone calls, threats, etc.

But I honestly never heard of a child suspended or otherwise punished for not praying. That just astonishes me.

[tsuki]

23. Shouldn't surprise you. It happens less than 200 miles west of you

in the Florida panhandle. People on this board get angry about homeschooling, but in my county, the progressive home schooled to keep their children safe from the cultists. It isn't as bad as it was ten years ago, but it was pretty bad.

They held assemblies in the auditorum with Fundamental Cultists. Son came home crying that he was going to Hell. He was a bad person.

Off to private school for him. Anyone who complained saw their child harassed and humiliated. Oh the the FLDOE, their response was "Well, they kain't do that." Well, they are. "But they kain't." End of story.

Forced prayers, you bet. Happens every day.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

27. I thought I lived in a pretty podunk

county.

Now, when we came here in 1978 they were still praying in Jefferson County, where my husband taught. JC runs from the Gulf up to GA. On each wall in each classroom was the Lord's prayer, etc. The school was at that time 100% African American. Coming from NJ schools, we were blown away by this, but he only taught there for a year and since learned that they quit the practice.

You WOULD think that school boards would be very sensitive to the concept of LAW SUIT or ACLU action? Words fail me. Learning about hell in school? Geez.

I personally learned about hell at 4 from a Catholic friend and I've been worried ever since.

[tsuki]

30. Lawsuit? ACLU? They don't worry about them. There is nothing

more vicious than an uptight Fundie on a mission. They'll ruin your child and expect you to thank them for it. That's why when everyone on this board goes on about home schooling, I have to say that the home schooling here is usually done by progressives that are scared to death of the system. They have a huge system, and most send their children to the community college in 10th. They have an AA by the time they graduate, and in four more years, a masters.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

36. Wow. You'd think I'd have met some

of these folks down here in the deep deep Bible belt, but my school district is as secular as you can get. We don't get paid for any religious holidays, even Xmas, and haven't in 30 years I've been here. Now, there are a few private schools I wouldn't want to get too close to! I teach gifted kids in a pull out center and I get a lot of home schooled kids and I'd say it is about fifty-fifty progressive families vs. fundamentalists. Lots of Mormons home school around here. Many of our gifted kids opt for GED and community college. Our youngest college grad just got his MS in chem at 16. But he was very unique.

[tsuki]

53. We've got one of the largest Khristian Cults around. Moved here

from California years ago. Pretty scary bunch. Add to that all the snake handlers and such, and if you stray to far from home ground, you are in the twilight zone.

First thing they targeted was the school district. Our community is divided into summer homes, and what's left of the native population. Everyone has an exit stragedy. Ours is five years off.

[seabeyond]

25. but..... we are in new and never walked times right now

it is progressively becoming more and more ok to demand we all be christians and if not you are wrong, pagan, heathen, evil itself. we in this nation have never experienced this trip. if we start seeing more and more of this, yes you will say, i have never seen before. and i am sure that will be true. doesnt mean in this climate you wont be seeing more and more of it

[TallahasseeGrannie]

28. Well, it better not happen in MY

school and the ACLU will be at the front door knocking.

[LostinVA]

29. This is probably Staunton, where it's still happening

[MountainLaurel]

31. Ding, ding, ding

Back in the late 70s, my friend was one of the first children in the schools NOT to attend these little sessions: The school didn't have an opt-out form, so her mom had to write a note stating that she was not to go. Pretty much, they stuck her in the library alone for a few hours while all the other children were gone -- No extra lessons, no real supervision of her time there, nada. Which was OK with her, but still not a real good use of her educational time.

It's getting more interesting now that more people are moving to Staunton from other areas, including folks who are living there and commuting to Charlottesville or telecommuting with the DC area. There have been many complaints about the practice and more stink being raised about whether, in the age of SOLs, this is a really useful activity.

[roguevalley]

45. another reason I will never attend church again

[Aimah]

46. I had a teacher try to force me to pray several times in a public school.

This was back in the mid to late 80s though. I believe those mind sets still exsist in the bible-belt. They didn't try to suspend us or expell us because me and my siblings wouldn't pray. What they would do though is try to get us into trouble. The teachers would send us to the office for any small little thing that they would overlook with other students. They would appoint a student that didn't like us (often times this student would be the bad kid in class) as class minotor when the teacher left. Almost everytime the kid would make up something and tell the teacher so we would go to the office.

I'm not saying that this is the case here, just showing that these things happen. It is fishy that the dad would kick the principal in the head.

[Chovexani]

51. Heh

Right here in one of the bluest cities in America, in my public HS, someone broke into my locker and vandalized a small shrine. Dried flowers were crushed to a pulp, the head was snapped clear off a small Athena statue I had, and every day without fail someone crammed fundie tracts inside. When I reported the vandalism to my homeroom teacher I was told, and I quote, "you flaunt your sin like that, someone godly will take exception to it".

Unfortunately, I had no recourse, because I later found out through the school grapevine that the gang of bible-beating thugs responsible were in the Bible club and the faculty advisor of said club was a psycho fundie that was BFF with my mom (also a fundie).

You can't get much more bluer than my city, and this happened to me. I can only imagine what happens to kids of minority faiths in red places. There was a Wiccan teen in Virginia that committed suicide because the fundies at her school were harassing her so badly.

[seabeyond]

15. if you know, then please tell why the father fought with the

principle. the reason matters. not validating violence. but you know the cops, i want to know why the father got in a fight

[crankybubba]

17. the fight happened several months ago

I go back to work tomorrow and will try to find out the reason for it. the father showed up at the then principals house and proceded to attack him. I do know this happened after school hours.

[seabeyond]

19. well, the only reason i could think a father would go after

a principle is he thought his daughter was being abused. he didnt kick the shit out of someone at a bar,..... he went after a principle of his daughters school. keep that in mind

i know htere were a couple times teachers did something stupid while i was growing up. and you could bet those were the few times my father got hot..... and went after someone. he didnt fight them, but man, those teachers apologized to the child that was hurt. both teachers were males. just saying. i have seen protective fathers...... there is a reason this man did this. especially if he doesnt have a history of violence

i would be interested in knowing. i am racking my brain to think of someone i know in that area that can give me info

[Finder]

40. Found something...

Hardesty Man Accused Of Assaulting Principal Sues School
Wednesday May 25, 2005 11:45am

...

Chester Smallkowski of Hardesty is asking for 75-thousand dollars from the Hardesty School District in Texas County for what he says are violations of his daughter's constitutional and civil rights.

Smallkowski says his daughter was allegedly removed from the school basketball team for stealing. His federal lawsuit says the true reason is because of her race and refusal to take part in pre- and post-game prayers. The girl's mother is Asian-Indian and Smallkowski is Polish-American.
...




http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0505/231050.html

[crankybubba]

43. that agrees with what I have been able to find out

the father got mad because daughter was kicked off the b-ball team. went to the principals house and assaulted him. sounds like the civil rights and praying issues are a ruse. the father is looking at possible 5 years for aggravated assault. the police and the sheriff dept has delt with the family on several occasions. Not for religious reasons.

[Lerkfish]

50. I see nothing that indicates it to be a ruse...what tells you that?

[seabeyond]

54. thanks. i am aware there are messed up families. i am also

aware of small town mentality and not really trusting the local cops. i will however keep what you say in perspective. i just am not really trusting all this. now if the girl was caught stealing, told her father, no i didnt and that was the reason she was kicked off team, i can see father going after principle. (not saying right. i see a valid reason the man was so emotional) at that point i am all for the suspencion and charges against man.

still going to wait and see if we here more

i just really dont put it past schools in this area. i have kids in the system. private for 6 years and now second year into public and i am seeing how religion is becoming a part of the public school. and in judgement.

[Lerkfish]

49. do you have a linky?

so far, we just have your claims. (not having read the rest of the thread, however)

[newswolf56]

12. Seems as if the pivotal question here is the motive -- real or

conjectural -- behind the alleged assault on the principal: perhaps those in the know would share their knowledge. If the assault is somehow related to religious discrimination by the school authorities, this is an even bigger (that is, more significant) story than it appears to be.

As to religiously motivated viciousness such as the expulsion of a girl in retaliation for her refusal to pray, that sort of thing occurs all the time in the American Bible Belt, where it is a commonplace expression of Christian Fundamentalist beliefs: something I know first-hand from the many years I lived in the South. As to the magnitude of the underlying viciousness, note the colloquial Southern/Bible-Belt name for the Ku Klux Klan: "the Saturday night men's Bible-study class." In the American Bible-belt as in the Middle East, Abrahamic Fundamentalism is deadly.

[Bill McBlueState]

13. not this again

Would they ever consider suspending a student for refusing to *fucking learn something once in a while*? Maybe there should be more of a focus on that in the schools.

[crankybubba]

18. this is in the oklahoma panhandle

a racially mixed area hispanics are in almost equal numbers as whites here. It is VERY conservative. and VERY VERY Religious. It may be about paryer issues like I said I will As THe Officers in that town tomorrow

[Rex]

26. They should attend Landover Baptist.

Sounds like a God fearing community! Amen.

[Fleshdancer]

32. I'm confused by this thread....

We learn that the father is charged with assault and now the girl is suspended but many people here are focused on the motive of the father instead of the possibility that this kid might be getting punished for the stupid actions of her father. Am I the only one here disturbed by this concept? Daddy can't control his anger so daughter gets suspended? WTF?

If Jenna and Barbara got kicked out of school for every stupid thing their father did, they wouldn't have gotten past the first grade.

[seabeyond]

34. we need the story first

i dont want to dismiss the thing because father was wrong in attack. what if they were abusing child cause she didnt fit into the religious zeal, adn the father lost it. if the father attacked cause his daughter was being abused, not to validate father violence, it would hold to the story the child being suspended because she didnt pray. a battle has been going on for a while. if father fought principle for other reason, may give us more insite to family and didnt have to do with school and prayer. and if the child was suspended because of father behavior, equally wrong

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. Good point

Beat me to it.

[INDIA]

37. I'm not sure I buy this story...

Even in the reddest most right wing parts of Oklahoma, there is no way a school administrator would be that stupid. His actions would be absolutely indefenseable, which leads me to believe that the family account is off.
Guess what, they get
newspapers and CNN in Oklahoma too! They're not as backwards as you think!

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. I stopped wondering when I read the part about her dad

assaulting the principal. There is an obvious history here we are not hearing.

[Finder]

41. See post #40 n/t

[davidinalameda]

44. how long have the charges been pending against the father

it seems to me that someone is dragging this out

and that someone is probably in the school administration

[Marnieworld]

47. Burn Her!

She's a witch! Seriously, it's like Salem.

[Orangepeel]

48. I don't take stories like this at face value

it may be true, but it may not be true.

School districts are often prevented from commenting on cases like this, so the stories can be one sided (remember the kid who was forced to walk around in his underwear because he wore a Halloween costume to school?)

[lateo]

52. Who would Jesus kick out of school?

Ah yeah, the loving, kindness of Christians.

[tlsmith1963]

55. Uh...This is a *Public* School...

...not a religious one. She shouldn't have been forced to pray at all.
I hope her family sues their asses off.

Tammy

[sarcasmo]

56. As our American Theocracy gets bigger and more out of control, you

will see more and more situations like this occur. As an Atheist, I fear it will be a witch hunt.

[seabeyond]

57. there may be extenuating circumstances, a wait and see, but

i agree with you. i live in the panhandle of texas, pretty big city. and still i ma seeing it in my children's public school. i am not liking what i see in a very short time at this school. only a couple three months. and i am seeing more and more of an insistence this be a one religion environment and no room for vary thoughts. now..... i am christian, and i am offended what i am seeing a public school doing. i also want all those that are not christian to be welcomed in this school, and i dont see how.

i too see it getting worse before it gets better

[sarcasmo]

58. In another twenty years under this new Theocracy will this Atheist be

burned at the stake?

[seabeyond]

59. this christian will be at the stake with you

standing up for you. none of the shit of first they took the atheist, but since i wasn't an atheist..........