A Christian student suspended from a high school in Nova Scotia for sporting a T-shirt with the slogan "Life is wasted without Jesus" vows to wear it when he returns to class next week.
William Swinimer, who's in Grade 12, was suspended from Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin in Lunenburg County for five days. He's due to return to class on Monday.
The devout Christian says the T-shirt is an expression of his beliefs, and he won't stop wearing it.
"I believe there are things that are bigger than me. And I think that I need to stand up for the rights of people in this country, and religious rights and freedom of speech," he told CBC.
Officials with the South Shore Regional School Board plan to meet with Swinimer to hopefully reach a compromise.
Nancy Pynch-Worthylake, board superintendent, said some students and teachers found the T-shirt offensive.
"When one is able or others are able to interpret it as, 'If you don't share my belief then your life is wasted,' that can be interpreted by some as being inappropriate," she said.
Refuses principal's order
Swinimer wore the T-shirt every day to class for several weeks. The principal told him repeatedly to stop wearing it, but the student refused to comply.
Swinimer says the principal would have accepted a shirt with the slogan, "My life is wasted without Jesus."
"But I didn't go for that because I have my rights as a Canadian citizen," Swinimer said.
Swinimer says he never intended to attack anyone else's beliefs. He says he will continue to wear the shirt and is prepared to be suspended the rest of the year.
The board is looking for some guidance on the matter. It hopes to bring in an expert to help mediate the dispute with Swinimer, his family and church supporters.
"We'll be looking for some people with understanding in this area to help us with that," Pynch-Worthylake said.
Story Here
I disagree with the message of the shirt (and the color of it, ewwww) but I think he should be allowed to wear it.
UPDATE:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/05/07/ns-jesus-shirt-student-school.html
Students said William Swinimer has been preaching and making them feel uncomfortable, and the shirt was the last straw so they complained.
"He's told kids they'll burn in hell if they don't confess themselves to Jesus," student Riley Gibb-Smith said.
Katelyn Hiltz, student council vice-president, agreed the controversy didn't begin with the T-shirt.
"It started with him preaching his religion to kids and then telling them to go to hell. A lot of kids don't want to deal with this anymore," she said.
Hiltz said she supported the school's decision to suspend Swinimer for continuing to wear the T-shirt.
This was a culmination of things.
He was preaching at the school and annoying students by telling them they are all going to hell. The t-shirt was the last straw.
I'm not sure this changes anything. If you want to suspend him for his other activities that's one thing but the shirt is a different issue entirely.