Oklahoma school hunts down 15 year old witch

[Squid]

This is just friggin' ridiculous, and then people wonder why we are falling behind other countries in science and technology:

http://www.aclu.org/religion/schools/16295prs20001026.html

ACLU of Oklahoma Files Federal Lawsuit on Behalf of Student Accused of "Hexing" a Teacher (10/26/2000)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TULSA, OK--In a case reminiscent of the Salem Witch trials, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma today filed a federal lawsuit charging that school officials violated 15-year-old Brandi Blackbear's rights when they accused her of casting a hex that resulted in a teacher's illness.

[McQ]

This looks like it happened eight years ago. I wonder what the outcome of it all was.

[rlrose328]

In 2002, the case was dismissed by a judge who said because she wasn't actually Wicca, was just researching and didn't really BELIEVE it, it wasn't a violation of her religious freedom and therefore, was a frivolous case.

So because she didn't REALLY believe, it's okay to accuse her of hexing someone and disciplining her for it.  Be careful what you research in school, kids.

[Squid]

Thanks, I was trying to find out what happened with this case.  I was just running through (out of boredom) lunacy like this but then I got sidetracked...not hard to really do....oh look, a kitty...

[McQ]

In 2002, the case was dismissed by a judge who said because she wasn't actually Wicca, was just researching and didn't really BELIEVE it, it wasn't a violation of her religious freedom and therefore, was a frivolous case.

So because she didn't REALLY believe, it's okay to accuse her of hexing someone and disciplining her for it.  Be careful what you research in school, kids.

It really is frightening to see us still trying to prosecute "witches" though. It's not surprising, but frightening nonetheless.

[Kylyssa]

'Using witchcraft on the boy' was part of what the parents of a high school boyfriend tried to accuse me on along with statutory rape - fortunately the prosecutor took one look at it and threw the whole thing out.  Of course, neither charge was true.

Evidence used to support that I and my family were Satanists (erm, wait, didn't they say witchcraft???) included the presence of numerous cats at the family home, wild animals in cages and roaming about the grounds, and my father's sculpture garden.  Hello, it was a farm - lots of grain around - if you don't want rats and mice to overtake you, you either need to put down a crapload of poison or have a bunch of cats.  Since we were doing organic farming, cats it was.  As to wild animals in cages, I was always rescuing injured wildlife - they always got released once they were well though a few developed a tendency to hang around.  As to my father's sculpture garden - it was a frikken bunch of animals he'd sculpted for me to play on when I was little and later on a few mythological creatures for aesthetic purposes.  Well, and of course my parents didn't go to church.

I even still go into explanation mode, as if I should have to explain what we were doing to prove it wasn't witchcraft or Satanism.

[McQ]

'Using witchcraft on the boy' was part of what the parents of a high school boyfriend tried to accuse me on along with statutory rape - fortunately the prosecutor took one look at it and threw the whole thing out.  Of course, neither charge was true.

Evidence used to support that I and my family were Satanists (erm, wait, didn't they say witchcraft???) included the presence of numerous cats at the family home, wild animals in cages and roaming about the grounds, and my father's sculpture garden.  Hello, it was a farm - lots of grain around - if you don't want rats and mice to overtake you, you either need to put down a crapload of poison or have a bunch of cats.  Since we were doing organic farming, cats it was.  As to wild animals in cages, I was always rescuing injured wildlife - they always got released once they were well though a few developed a tendency to hang around.  As to my father's sculpture garden - it was a frikken bunch of animals he'd sculpted for me to play on when I was little and later on a few mythological creatures for aesthetic purposes.  Well, and of course my parents didn't go to church.

I even still go into explanation mode, as if I should have to explain what we were doing to prove it wasn't witchcraft or Satanism.

I always knew there was something fishy about you, Kylissa. Damn satanists. You leave a door unlocked and they just let themselves right in.....

On a serious note, that is total bullshit, when people try to pull this stuff. I'm so glad to hear the prosecutor threw out the case. But it sucks that the stigma still sticks in the minds of people afterward.