A school district in Oregon is facing complaints for allegedly forcing one student to read the Bible as a form of punishment.
According to a report from The World, officials at the North Bend School District have been accused of requiring students to read Biblical passages as a form of discipline and discriminating against LGBTQ students who reported sexual harassment.
"In conclusion, the department finds that discrimination on the basis of sex and sexual orientation may have occurred," Mark Mayer, complaint and appeals coordinator for Oregon Department of Education (ODE), wrote in a March 6 letter addressed to District Superintendent Bill Yester.
An investigation conducted by the ODE reportedly found that one student, identified in the complaint as Student 3, was asked to read passages of the Bible while under the supervision of district staff.
"Student 3 had little choice but to comply with the building administrator's established form of punishment," the letter read, as reported by The World.
The ODE's letter indicated that the students believed the sexual identity of Student 3 to be behind the decision to use the Bible as punishment.
The letter pointed to another incident in which Student 1 and 2 were allegedly harassed by another student, referred to as Student 4, who was apparently the child of the building's administrator.
The district had reportedly instructed the building administrator to "discuss the matter" with Student 4, instead of investigating the incident, Student 2 told the ODE.
Student 2 also complained about a separate incident when a teacher allegedly compared same-sex unions to marrying a dog.
"There is substantial evidence to support the allegation that the district subjected LGBTQ students to separate or different rules of behavior, sanctions, or other treatment...," the letter went on to say.
The district has been asked to attend a hearing in North Bend on May 24 after it failed to reach an agreement with one of the students.
At the hearing, an ODE officer will determine whether the school district violated state and federal anti-discrimination laws, as well as the student's First Amendment rights.
The school district contended that the alleged incidents took place over the course of several years, but most were not reported to district officials.
"The district participated in the ODE investigation process, resulting in preliminary finding that ... discrimination may have occurred," the district said in a written statement to The World.
A nine-hour mediation took place in Salem on April 25, but the complainants and the school district were unable to reach an agreement.
"The district disputes many of ODE's preliminary findings and will present evidence to rebut the findings at at the May 24, 2018, hearing," the district further stated.
