Student Suspended for 'Bless You' after Sneeze
A high school student in Tennessee received a brief in-school suspension for saying "bless you" to a fellow student who sneezed.
Kendra Turner is a senior at Dyer County High School. Local media outlets report Turner said her computer teacher banned the phrase "bless you" in class because it should only be allowed in church.
The teacher also banned some non-religious phrases, like "my bad" or "hang out," saying they're a distraction during class.
On her Facebook page this week, Turner said her teacher told her, "'We do not do godly speaking in my class.' I stood up for my belief and said I have a constitutional right to speak about my God!!"
The Dyersburg State Gazette reports the school said the incident is about distraction, not a religious issue.
"We can't discuss discipline issues because of right to privacy of students, but I can say there are two sides to every story," DCHS Assistant Principal Lynn Garner told the paper.
"Sometimes people spin things and turn them to make them seem one way, but I cannot discuss anything specific in order to protect the child."
On Wednesday, Turner took to Facebook again to defend herself saying, "I don't care who talks about me or what they say, I WILL stand tall for my God!!!"
