Kearny, USA - The teacher who is the subject of a potential lawsuit regarding proselytizing in a public high school history class denied on Tuesday night that he had preached in class and said that the student who taped him had never expressed discomfort to him about his comments.
The teacher, David Paszkiewicz, 38, spoke for the first time with reporters about the controversy outside a school board meeting here during which the board took the first step toward approving a policy that specifically requires teachers to “refrain from advocating one religion.”
The student, Matthew LaClair, 16, recorded the teacher’s history classes in September after, he said, he became uncomfortable with the religious nature of the discussions in class. He has said that he felt his criticisms of the popular teacher would not be believed otherwise.
Matthew brought his concerns to school officials, and they took corrective action against the teacher, which Mr. Paszkiewicz called “a reprimand.”
After the tapes became public, Matthew said, he has had little support from other students. He received a death threat and has been bullied, he said.
Demetrios K. Stratis, Mr. Paszkiewicz’s lawyer, told reporters on Tuesday night that Matthew’s questions in class led the teacher down a path. “It doesn’t defy common sense to say he was set up,” Mr. Stratis said before the board meeting, which was attended by about 150 people.
Matthew has said that he did not initiate any of the classroom conversations about religion.
In the recordings, Mr. Paszkiewicz said of Jesus, “If you reject his gift of salvation, then you know where you belong.” He also said: “He did everything in his power to make sure that you could go to heaven, so much so that he took your sins on his own body, suffered your pains for you, and he’s saying, ‘Please, accept me, believe.’ If you reject that, you belong in hell.”
In other comments, he is recorded saying that dinosaurs were on Noah’s ark, and that the Big Bang and evolution were not based on science.
But on Tuesday night, Mr. Paszkiewicz insisted, “I’m very careful to follow the guidelines and stick with the curriculum.”
As for the recordings, he said, “I really wish the entire world would listen to them.”
Some of the teacher’s supporters last night carried signs that said, “Jesus Saves.” One man carried a sign that equated the American Civil Liberties Union with the Anti Christian Liberties Union.
On Monday, the LaClair family, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the People for the American Way Foundation announced the family’s intent to sue the school district if their complaints are not resolved.
Matthew and his parents, Paul and Debra LaClair, are asking for an apology to Matthew and for public corrections to some of the statements Mr. Paszkiewicz made in class.
Matthew told the board last night, “During the whole time, I’ve been harassed and bullied, and you’ve done nothing to defend me; you make it look like I’ve done something wrong.”