Teacher Fired for Giving Student Bible -- Gets Job Back

Todd Starnes 

                                          

     "It was way back in 2014 when I first introduced you to Walt Tutka, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey - and a member of Gideon's International. 

     "Gideon's is a Christian service organization. They give people Bibles. You've probably seen one of their Bibles in a Holiday Inn -- on a bedside table.

     "Mr. Tutka also happened to be a substitute teacher in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. But he was fired from that job after he gave a student a Bible. 

     "The student happened to be the last person entering through a door. Mr. Tutka told the youngster, "The first shall be last, but the last shall be first."

     "The student later inquired on several occasions about the origins of the quote. He showed the student the verse in his Bible, which led to the student asking for a personal copy of the Bible. And being a good Gideon, Mr. Tutka gladly supplied the child with a copy. 

     "It did not seem to matter to the school district that the student had asked for a copy of the Good Book. 

     "First Liberty Institute took on Mr. Tutka's case - and eventually scored a victory with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They agreed that the school district had discriminated against Mr. Tutka on the "basis of religion and retaliation."

     "And on the eve of First Liberty's deadline to file a federal lawsuit, the school district agreed to a settlement. 

     "That means Mr. Tutka can once again become a substitute teacher -- effective today. " . . .

How ironic. On my shelf I still have a pocket Testament given to me in the 5th grade in 1949 by a Gideon visiting our school in Tillamook County, Oregon. (We seemed so much more free back then and my only regret is that freedom did not extend to African- Americans.TD)