About 200 members of a Roswell church are protesting discipline against students who tried to leave doughnuts with religious messages for their teachers.
Members of Church on the Move said at Tuesday’s Roswell school board meeting that the students faced suspension and detention for leaving doughnuts in teachers’ lounges Sept. 3.
Parent Sheila Bejarano said her 16-year-old son received a weekend detention.
“My son was showing kindness … and he was punished? What did my child do that was so wrong?” she asked.
Church officials said about 25 students tried to distribute doughnuts.
Roswell Independent School District officials declined comment.
“The board believes in listening to the public and we gave them the opportunity to express their concerns,” said Superintendent Michael Gottlieb.
The students are part of the church’s ministry group, Relentless in Roswell, which sued the school district, accusing it of violating students’ constitutional rights in a separate incident.
The lawsuit came after students at Roswell and Goddard high schools were disciplined after distributing plastic dolls last spring that resembled fetuses. The dolls had cards attached that had a Bible verse and promoted the services of a pregnancy resource center.
District officials have said they prohibited the students from distributing the dolls because school policy does not allow advertising or solicitation on campus.
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