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A young student in Lebanon, Ohio was handed an in-school suspension after putting up Bible verses around campus in response to gay pride flags.
A video of Gabby Helsinger, a student at Lebanon High School, was uploaded on Facebook last March 8 by her mother, Tina.
“Lebanon schools celebrates evil and punishes [sic] righteousness!!!” Tina wrote on her post.
In the video, Gabby can be seen explaining why she posted Bible verses on the walls and lockers in campus, saying there were some people in school that “needed help.”
The incident happened on Thursday, March 7, when Gabby saw pride flag posters upon arriving in school. As a response, she decided to write down Bible verses on pieces of paper and posted them around. Come lunch time, however, she saw teachers taking her Bible verses down, and the next day, she was called into the principal’s office.
“There is a letter that says that I have an ISS (in-school suspension) and the reason why I have it is because [of] abuse of others, disrespect, rudeness, because I put Bible verses up targeting the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) organization,” she said.
“I seen that there was people in my school that needed help [sic],” she added. “They don’t need to be living in the confusion of wondering whether they should be gay, bi, lesbian, trans, anything like that.”
She said fellow LGBT students can only be healed by God. She also noted that she was questioned by principal Scott Butler why she put up the Bible verses when she did not have permission.
“I didn’t know you had to have permission because people do it a lot…” she said. “I asked why every time Jesus or God gets brought up in school it gets taken down…”
Thus far, it is unknown which Bible verses Gabby chose to post around the school. However, Lebanon City School Superintendent Todd Yohey clarified the school’s official policy in regard to religious expression via Faithwire on March 12.
According to Yohey, the school’s Student Code of Conduct does not prohibit sharing religious texts or imagery in school grounds. He also added that like the Gay-Straight Alliance club, religious clubs are allowed to meet up during school hours.
Gabby’s mother Tina is also appealing her daughter’s punishment. She has called on netizens to flood the school principal and vice principal with emails and calls if they feel her daughter has been unjustly punished. Cody Cepeda/JB
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