Burlington High School Bigotry

It is not uncommon for schools to conduct “hostage drills” in order to prepare students for a hostage situation or terrorist attack. Late last month, however, officials at Burlington Township High School in New Jersey used a hostage drill to denigrate the Christian faith and bash practicing Christians.

The student body was told that two local policeman posing as alleged gunmen were “members of a right-wing fundamentalist group called the ‘New Crusaders’ who don’t believe in separation of church and state.”

The mock gunmen pretended to gun down several students in the hallways before taking 10 students hostage in the school’s media center. The drill organizers explained that the Christian gunmen “went to the school seeking justice because the daughter of one had been expelled for praying before class.”

“We need to practice under conditions as real as possible in order to evaluate our procedures and plans so that they’re as effective as possible,” explained school superintendent Chris Manno, praising the drill beforehand.

It should be noted that it is perfectly constitutional for a student to pray before class, and this should not result in an expulsion. The No Child Left Behind educational program penalizes any school that does not allow for constitutionally protected religious speech which includes public prayer.

The Burlington County Times reported that the drill was observed by law enforcement, school administrators and state and county officials from the Office of Emergency Management.

CRI encourages you to contact the following officials and tell them that you are displeased that the hostage drill was used as an opportunity to mock and disparage Christians and that a public apology should be issued.

Mayor Steven M. George
Burlington Township
851 Old York Road,
Burlington Township, NJ 08016
609-386-4444

Education superintendents, supervisors
http://www.burltwpsch.org/

Board of Education Member names also listed above but no email. Address would be same as mayor.

Mrs. Marie Phillips

Principal
Burlington Township High School
610 Fountain Avenue
Burlington, NJ 08016
609-387-1713

Karen England is the executive director of the Capitol Resource Institute. This article is excerpted from one of the CRI update.