A teacher in Georgia, who believes he should be allowed to talk about God in the classroom but claims not to have received support from his school administration, is taking a break from work to consider whether he should return. John Osbourne, a history teacher at Sequoyah High School, told his school administrators last week that he would take some time off after somebody complained that he talked about God and religion inside the classroom.
“I do have the right to fight for what I believe in and talk about Jesus in the classroom,” Osborne said.
Officials of Cherokee County School District said it was Osbourne that decided to go on leave and according to the school’s records, he is still employed.
“The Sequoyah High School teacher in question remains a CCSD employee and no disciplinary action has been taken against him. The teacher on Friday gave the school's administration notice that he would be taking leave this week,” read the school district’s statement.
According to Osbourne, he has talked about God and religion in the classroom for years and the school administration has in fact warned him against it in the past. However, the recent complaint alleged that Osbourne had told students not to smoke pot if they wanted to avoid going to hell, a claim the teacher has denied. Even though the administrators did not ask him to leave, Osbourne said that he was disappointed with the lack of support and is thus, utilizing his week’s worth of sick days to consider whether he will return.
“I don't know -- only God knows -- and I will pray about it. As I've grown in Christ, it has shown more in the classroom, and as it's gotten stronger, I just feel like I'm not going to change who I am. I'm not going to press my issue on you, but I'm going to be myself,” he said.
When students noticed Osbourne’s absence on September 9, they rallied for him to be brought back, as they had incorrectly assumed that he had been fired by the school administration. The rally caused some students to be late for class and they were detained because of that. Osbourne has said that if he does not return to teach at the school, he will consider a new career as a youth pastor.
Photo Credits: Wikimedia
