LEBANON –A high school student in Ohio is claiming she does not have equal protections after she was suspended for putting Post-it notes with Bible verses on student lockers in her school in response to LGBT pride flags and posters being displayed in school hallways.
The mother of Gabby Helsinger, a Lebanon City High School student, shared a video on Facebook March 8th claiming she is being punished for “targeting” the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club.
“On Thursday (March 7th) when I got to school, I saw that there were pride flags and posters around my school,” Gabby says in the video. “And I felt the need to write down some Bible verses so I could put them around my school. So I wrote them down and I put them around the lockers and on the walls.”
“I was coming back from lunch and I saw teachers taking the verses down, and the next day, I got called to the office and later received a letter saying I have an in-school suspension. The reason I was suspended was because of ‘abuse of others, disrespect, and rudeness’ because I put Bible verses up ‘targeting the GSA organization,’” she explained.
When initially questioned by Principal Scott Butler, Gabby answered by saying she “wanted to spread the word of God.’”
She also admitted to the Principal she did not have permission to post the Bible verses saying, “I did not know you had to have permission because people do it a lot — putting Post-It notes on people’s lockers, so I just did it.”
Faithwire reached out to Lebanon City School Superintendent Todd Yohey to clarify the school’s official policy regarding religious expression.
Yohey confirmed that the school’s Student Code of Conduct does not prohibit the sharing or posting of religious text or imagery on school grounds. He also confirmed that like the GSA, religious clubs are allowed to meet and advertise during school hours.
In a later statement, Yohey said Helsinger was suspended for defacing authorized materials, not for posting Scripture.
“The student was not disciplined for posting Scripture. The student was not disciplined for not asking permission,” The student was disciplined for a clear violation of our code of conduct,” Yohey said. “And, we have a student code of conduct policy about targeting student groups.”
According to Gabby Helsinger, “I did not even know what the GSA organization was or meant.”
The Lebanon Board of Education policy handbook prohibits religious harassment when the conduct over an individual’s religion or creed has the effect of interfering with the individual’s work or educational performance; and creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working and/or learning environment.
Franklin Graham gave his opinion on March 13th about the hostile environment he sees at Lebanon City Schools.
Franklin Graham, President and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse
“Gabby is asking the question of why anything mentioning God or Jesus is immediately deemed offensive and removed when other things such as gay pride displays are not. Gabby is right—God is the one who can bring help and healing—and she wanted to share that truth with others. Let’s pray for Gabby as she lets her light shine.”
“Gabby is asking the question of why anything mentioning God or Jesus is immediately deemed offensive and removed when other things such as gay pride displays are not. Gabby is right—God is the one who can bring help and healing—and she wanted to share that truth with others. Let’s pray for Gabby as she lets her light shine.”
In a Facebook post, Gabby’s mother Tina Helsinger explained why she believes her daughter is being unfairly punished for sharing her beliefs.
“Lebanon [High School] celebrates evil and punishes righteousness!!” she wrote. “I appealed the punishment stating ‘Posting a Bible verse is not abuse of others, disrespect/insolence/rudeness and in no way was it targeting GSA,’” Helsinger noted. “But the school principal, Scott Butler, says ‘Gabby was targeting the GSA organization.’”
The Lebanon City School Board President did not respond to Frontlines Ohio’s request for an interview.
