Monday April 6th, 2015 – 11am
Posted Apr 6, 2015 11:45:27 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
11:00 – Bullying – St. David in Waterloo
Jean, local parent & mother of two St. David students
A local parent is speaking out about the way a bullying – and assault situation – has been handled at St. David in Waterloo. On Thursday, we spoke about a heart-breaking incident that occurred back in October. We heard how a teenager, who has scoliosis and is on the autism spectrum was locked in a sound-proof closet off the music room and assaulted as a group watched on. Last week, a 16 year old St. David student pleaded guilty to one count of assault in court and was given 12 months’ probation and one year to complete 150 hours of community service. The teen, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, also received a 5-day suspension from the Waterloo based school. Jean is a local mother, with two kids who attend the school. Her son played on the football team, which has subsequently folded due to the incident. She joins us on the phone now.
11:30 – Indiana – Religious Freedom
Christopher Ross, Associate Professor in Psychology and Religion, Department of Religion and Culture Wilfrid Laurier University
The state of Indiana is under public scrutiny after recently passing its religious freedom law – and the fall-out has been intense. Indiana lawmakers have been scrambling to control damage from a widely criticized new law that critics fear could permit discrimination against gays and lesbians. The state is among about a dozen where measures aimed at preventing government from infringing on people’s religious beliefs have been introduced this year – and takes effect July 1st. Indiana officials, including Gov. Mike Pence, say it’s based on a 1993 federal “religious freedom” law that has been upheld by courts. Now – Rick Santorum is defending the law, saying tolerance is a two way street by using a hypothetical situation. He asked the question….”if you are gay and own a print shop – should you be forced to print a derogatory message for the Westboro Baptist Church? Should you be forced by the Government to do that?” The former and possibly future Republican presidential candidate says it’s a matter of accommodation. Christopher Ross, Associate Professor in Psychology and Religion at the Department of Religion and Culture at Wilfrid Laurier University joins us now to explain what this religious freedom law entails.
Listen:
