NYC Teacher Claims She Was Harassed, Then Fired Over Her Christian Faith

Anita Wooten-Franci, an assistant special education teacher at PS 224, claims that she was teased, harassed and then wrongfully terminated last June.  While the school claims she was fired for allegedly grabbing a child, Wooten-Franci denies this charge and insists that her firing was based on her Christian beliefs.

When it came to public displays of faith, the former assistant teacher says that she was careful not to influence her students, but that she did appropriately pray, listen to Christian music and lead a worship group during "non-instructional hours."

Wooten-Franci claims that the school's principal -- George Andrews -- was vocal and often offensive about his dislike for her Christian beliefs.  She says that Andrews would frequently make negative comments and that he told her, "You can't be praying in my school." The New York Post has more:

In one instance, [the principal allegedly] criticized the disabled woman for using the elevator and told her to take the stairs. When she protested, he allegedly said, "Why don't you just pray?" Then he laughed.

At the same time, she says, the school was going to hell in a handbasket, with school administrators charging students for bake sales "even though no charity received the proceeds," and using money from the school's Special Needs Funds to pay for lunches and parties, the suit claims.

It was after she complained about these issues that Wooten-Francis says she was slapped with a false charge (that she laid her hands on a child).  Following this allegation, she spent time in a "rubber room" and was subsequently fired.  Now, she is suing the Department of Education and is confident that "...the truth will come out."

Glenn Beck covered this story on his show tonight. Here's the clip: