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Georgia Principal Says District Buckled to Pressure Over Yoga in Class

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T

Tripon

Member
ATLANTA (CN) – An assistant principal at Georgia’s Cobb County School District claims in court that she was unfairly transferred to another school after parents complained about her teaching yoga-based exercises.

In a federal lawsuit filed in Atlanta, Bonnie Cole says she began working for the school district in 1998 and was promoted to assistant principal at its Bullard Elementary School in 2006.

As recounted in the April 18 complaint, in 2014 Cole began to encourage her teachers to use breathing and stretching exercises based on yoga and meditation to reduce stress and help them to relax.

Shortly afterward, and with teacher input, Cole decorated a faculty room with soft lighting, fountains, and peaceful music, and designated it as a place where faculty could “take a few deep breaths, color mandalas, or play with kinetic sand” to sooth their sometimes harried nerves.

Then Cole and the teachers began encouraging students to try the stretching exercises and meditation techniques. And Cole says as a result of the initiative, the school saw a 33 percent decrease in disruptive behaviors during the 2014-2015 school year.
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But parents soon began complaining to the school district that the mindfulness practices were promoting eastern religious practices that they objected to, and an anonymous letter was sent to the school district and school board.

“A number of the parents became increasingly hostile and aggressive, inundating CCSD with emails stating that Ms. Cole was, among other things, a Buddhist, trying to indoctrinate their children with Buddhism, and many other wild and false accusations,” the complaint says.

According to the lawsuit, several parents held a prayer rally at the school “for Jesus to rid the school of Buddhism.”
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Cole says the district ultimately halted all mindfulness activities and eventually moved her to another school farther away from her home.
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https://www.courthousenews.com/georgia-educator-says-district-buckled-pressure-yoga-class/
 
Q

Quixzlizx

Member
Cobb County is also the county famous for the "Evolution is just a theory" stickers on their biology textbooks.

Atlanta had better build a wall before they start taking Ls through osmosis.
 
D

Derwind

Member
But parents soon began complaining to the school district that the mindfulness practices were promoting eastern religious practices that they objected to, and an anonymous letter was sent to the school district and school board.
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Yeah, even Yoga is getting the brown people treatment.
 
B

Beartruck

Member
On one hand, telling people to play with color mandelas and kinetic sand is asinine. On the other, trying to ban a breathing/stretching technique because an eastern guy thought of it is so stupid I now want to learn yoga to contain my anger at this.

As to billy beane's question, white women love yoga and white men love women in yoga pants. These guys in cobb county are just batshit.
 
3

3N16MA

Banned
Exposing yoga to children? Glad they were able to put a stop to it before anyone was seriously scarred for life.
 
O

old manatee

Banned
Yoga is how they getcha. First they teach you how to stretch, and then once you are all limbered up they strap a bomb vest on you and send you into a crowded building. Textbook.
 
C

ClosingADoor

Member
"eastern religious practices that they objected to"

Imagine being such an asshole that this is something you take offense to. It wasn't even mandatory. It wasn't religious. It was just... relaxing. Which is healthy and good for your kids. These parents needed a few yoga lessons themselves.
 
G

Game-Biz

Member
billy beane said:
I thought white people loved yoga are they against it now? I need a white person to confirm or deny.
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Christians (at least Jehovah's Witnesses) are against it as far as I know since it deals with a non-Christian religion. Outside religions and their practices are always going to be a threat to any dominate religion.
 
S

StrikeNinja24

Banned
billy beane said:
I thought white people loved yoga are they against it now? I need a white person to confirm or deny.
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It's Alabama. They do not speak for all white people, they are the minority if anything. Bunch of hicks that are brainwashed by religion, which is ironic when you really think about it.
 
S

StrikeNinja24

Banned
ClosingADoor said:
"eastern religious practices that they objected to"

Imagine being such an asshole that this is something you take offense to. It wasn't even mandatory. It wasn't religious. It was just... relaxing. Which is healthy and good for your kids. These parents needed a few yoga lessons themselves.
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At this point, I'm pretty sure they live their lives through hating others. Pretty sure it gives their life meaning.
 
Q

Quixzlizx

Member
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:
I think the white demographic into it aren't heavily populating Alabama.
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StrikeNinja24 said:
It's Alabama. They do not speak for all white people, they are the minority if anything. Bunch of hicks that are brainwashed by religion, which is ironic when you really think about it.
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Cobb county is an Atlanta suburb, not Alabama. The principal is in Alabama now, I guess.

Edit: Actually, I don't see Alabama anywhere in the article. OP fucked up.
 
G

Game-Biz

Member
billy beane said:
I thought white people loved yoga are they against it now? I need a white person to confirm or deny.
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When I was a teen and a jehovah's witness I was taught that it had origins from false religion and that Satan uses theses kinds of things to distract us or pull us away from "The Truth." So, with that, I, along with my other fellow Witness friends thought that yoga was really stupid and that we should teach people who practice it about its origins. Wasn't too long after that until I started thinking religion was stupid. Now I think yoga is really cool, but I lack physical discipline...at least at the moment. Some day.
 
J

Jenov

Member
Alabama Principal Says District Buckled to Pressure Over Yoga in Class

ATLANTA (CN) – An assistant principal at Georgia’s Cobb County School District


Hmmmmmmm
 
A

Arttemis

Member
Holy shit! As insane as it is that this happened, I'm genuinely excited that this made it to court. I hope those that participated in this disgraceful bigotry are publicly shamed.
 
Q

Quixzlizx

Member
Arttemis said:
Holy shit! As insane as it is that this happened, I'm genuinely excited that this made it to court. I hope those that participated in this disgraceful bigotry are publicly shamed.
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The Cobb school district was also forced to remove the "Evolution is theory, not fact" stickers from their biology textbooks due to a lawsuit.

Activist judges! Sad!
 
Hale-XF11

Hale-XF11

Member
Syriel said:
Nope. History says otherwise.

Different excuse, same goal:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1144124

People love to shut down things that are "different."
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From that thread...

"People are just looking for a reason to be offended by anything they can find," said Scharf.

"There's a real divide between reasonable people and those people just looking to jump on a bandwagon. And unfortunately, it ends up with good people getting punished for doing good things."
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I feel like this accurately defines the generation we currently live in and how it will be remembered.
 
E

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
Schools lack time dedicated to health and fitness, I think other activities should be privileged over yoga. Obviously that wasn't the motivation in kicking her out, but leave yoga out of school, use that time for more demanding physical activity which kids need. Learning to stretch, increase flexibility, and relaxing post-exercise can all be integrated without the need for a yoga class.
 
Q

Quixzlizx

Member
Ether_Snake said:
Schools lack time dedicated to health and fitness, I think other activities should be privileged over yoga. Obviously that wasn't the motivation in kicking her out, but leave yoga out of school, use that time for more demanding physical activity which kids need.
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Students can choose between kendo and kung fu.
 
B

bionic77

Member
Makes sense.

They don't think they someone can be born gay or Democrat.

Yoga is probably a gateway to the gay in their minds.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
Ether_Snake said:
Schools lack time dedicated to health and fitness, I think other activities should be privileged over yoga. Obviously that wasn't the motivation in kicking her out, but leave yoga out of school, use that time for more demanding physical activity which kids need.
Click to expand...
Yoga isn't physically demanding?
 
P

PixelatedBookake

Junior Member
Yeah there's a lot of pressure in these areas to ensure Christianity is what everybody, especially the kids, believe in. I went to school in this district, and you better believe the question "What religion are you?" by classmates was asked just to check if everyone was a Christian denomination. I would always lie or make something up so I didn't get called out for being an atheist, but that was just how it was.
 
B

bionic77

Member
PixelatedBookake said:
Yeah there's a lot of pressure in these areas to ensure Christianity is what everybody, especially the kids, believe in. I went to school in this district, and you better believe the question "What religion are you?" by classmates was asked just to check if everyone was a Christian denomination. I would always lie or make something up so I didn't get called out for being an atheist, but that was just how it was.
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Damn that sounds like some Taliban shit.
 
NeOak

NeOak

Member
Ether_Snake said:
Schools lack time dedicated to health and fitness, I think other activities should be privileged over yoga. Obviously that wasn't the motivation in kicking her out, but leave yoga out of school, use that time for more demanding physical activity which kids need. Learning to stretch, increase flexibility, and relaxing post-exercise can all be integrated without the need for a yoga class.
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Is this a serious post?
 
S

Sesha

Member
These folks need some yoga to calm their ignorant tits down.

Ether_Snake said:
Schools lack time dedicated to health and fitness, I think other activities should be privileged over yoga. Obviously that wasn't the motivation in kicking her out, but leave yoga out of school, use that time for more demanding physical activity which kids need.
Click to expand...

Yoga can be effective against stress and anxiety in ways that other physical activities aren't. In this increasingly stressful world of ours it's something kids sorely need, I would say. It also teaches breathing techniques which are incredibly useful in a number of ways, and the stretchy stuff helps increase flexibility and fitness.
 
D

Dan

No longer boycotting the Wolfenstein franchise
Sesha said:
Yoga can be effective against stress and anxiety in ways that other physical activities aren't. In this increasingly stressful world of ours it's something kids sorely need, I would say. It also teaches breathing techniques which are incredibly useful in a number of ways, and the stretchy stuff helps increase flexibility and fitness.
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Yup, research supports this. I might quibble with how this principal executed the plan, but relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, etc., have positive impacts on student performance and behavior.

And Cole says as a result of the initiative, the school saw a 33 percent decrease in disruptive behaviors during the 2014-2015 school year.
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That's not the Christian way!
 
D

DontBeThatGuy

Member
Ether_Snake said:
Schools lack time dedicated to health and fitness, I think other activities should be privileged over yoga. Obviously that wasn't the motivation in kicking her out, but leave yoga out of school, use that time for more demanding physical activity which kids need. Learning to stretch, increase flexibility, and relaxing post-exercise can all be integrated without the need for a yoga class.
Click to expand...

You should actually try Yoga sometime.
 
W

Warm Machine

Member
They teach mindfulness at my sons elementary school in Vancouver. One parent is really pissed about it and wants it to stop. Shit happens all over. People are afraid all the time.
 
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