According to David Paszkiewicz, evolution isn't scientific, there were dinosaurs on Noah's ark, and, of course, if you're not a Christian, you're not getting into heaven. At least, that's what he told his class while, unbeknownst to him, student Matthew LaClair was taping him. Matthew said that he was uncomfortable with his new teacher's comments, so he taped eight classes beginning in the middle of September.

Paszkiewicz, who was supposed to be teaching about the constitution, not violating it, also happens to be a youth pastor at Kearney Baptist Church. Interestingly, this didn't happen in Alabama or Georgia or some other bible belt state, but in New Jersey, a mere ten miles from Manhattan. What's even stranger is the community response -- strongly supporting the teacher, despite the evidence of his proselytizing. 15-year-old Kyle Durkin, said, for example, "I'm on the teacher's side all the way."

Another student in the class and, coincidentally, a member of Paszkiewicz's youth group, Greice Coelho, said in a letter to The Observer, the local weekly newspaper, that Matthew was "ignoring the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gives every citizen the freedom of religion." Unfortunately, she must have missed the times -- if any -- when Paszkiewicz actually talked about the constitution. Sure he has the right to his beliefs, but as a representative of the government teaching in a public school, he needs to save them for his church youth group. Some have called for Matthew's suspension and he has even received a death threat.

This is another case of a teacher not quite getting it. Paszkiewicz is perfectly within his rights to believe whatever he wants. He's even free to share those beliefs as if they were the truth in the context of his church. But when he sets foot in a public school classroom, he is an employee and representative of the government and has to keep those beliefs to himself. If that's not something he feels he can do, then he needs to find other employment, perhaps as a teacher in a private, religious school.