Professor Receives Backlash from Students and University after Banning Phrase ‘God Bless You’
- Updated Sep 16, 2015
A teacher at a Texas university who banned his students from saying “God bless you” in the classroom, has received disapproval from students and the university.
The teacher, who was not identified, teaches at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The teacher didn’t want his students using the phrase “God bless you” in his classroom and even wrote the prohibition into his syllabus which stated, “Please refrain from saying, ‘God bless you’ during the classes and exams.”
The banning of the phrase was found below the line in the syllabus that banned the use of cell phones and computers in the classroom.
A number of students took issue with the teacher’s decision to ban the phrase after a photo of the syllabus went viral on the internet, according to Christian Today.
“It’s kind of ridiculous, First Amendment, freedom of religion,” said student Marcos Villarreal. "We shouldn't have to block that out of school."
Other students did not take issue with the teacher’s prohibition of the phrase. “I honestly wouldn’t have a problem with it,” said student Aaron Bravo. “It shouldn’t really be a problem because it’s the teacher’s classrooms.”
The University, however, did not approve of the professor’s decision and had it taken out of his syllabus. A statement from the University said that the professor had addressed the issue with his students.
Photo courtesy: pixabay.com
Publication date: September 16, 2015
