Texas Student Successfully Defies 'Total Surveillance State,' Citing 'Mark of the Beast

The idea of being tracked wherever one goes by a government computer chip may sound like something out of Science Fiction dystopia films like "V for Vendetta" or "Total Recall," but apparently, it's actually happening. And at least one Texas high school student has embarked on a mission to stop it.

Meet Andrea Hernandez, a sophomore at Texas' John Jay High School Science and Engineering Academy, and a resistor against a new program there that enables the school to track its pupils:

(Photo Credit: NBC Latino)

The proposed "tracking" method would require students to wear badges containing Radio Frequency Initiation (RFID) chips, and then track the chips embedded in the badges, presumably as a means of ensuring students don't play hooky or go off-campus without permission, etc.

The "badge" Hernandez would be required to wear (Photo Credit: NBC Latino)

But Hernandez refuses to play along with the badges, even braving the threat of expulsion to do so. Why? Because she believes they're Satanic, according to the blog God Discussion:

The choice has not been without controversy, as several parents have come forward with negative comments regarding their children.

Hernandez is claiming religious principles for refusing to carry her ID card, stating that she believes it is satanic, specifically calling it the “mark of the beast,” in reference to one of the interpretations of Christian biblical prophecy as outlined in the apocalyptic book, Revelation.

And while Hernandez's reasons might strike some as odd, she's having more success than one might initially expect, due partially to legal support from the nonprofit Rutherford Institute, which just successfully blocked her expulsion in court. Russia Today reports:

Andrea Hernandez was told she’d be expelled from John Jay High School’s Science and Engineering Academy in San Antonio starting next week if she insists any further on disobeying a new policy that requires students to wear ID badges equipped with tiny Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) chips. Now attorneys with the Rutherford Institute say Hernandez has been granted a temporary restraining order that will prohibit the Northside Independent School District from relocating the student to another facility.

“The court’s willingness to grant a temporary restraining order is a good first step, but there is still a long way to go — not just in this case, but dealing with the mindset, in general, that everyone needs to be monitored and controlled,”Rutherford Institute President John Whitehead says in a statement.

“Regimes in the past have always started with the schools, where they develop a compliant citizenry. These ‘Student Locator’ programs are ultimately aimed at getting students used to living in a total surveillance state where there will be no privacy, and wherever you go and whatever you text or email will be watched by the government.”

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According to San Antonio’s KENS5 News, a judge gave Hernandez a temporary restraining order from the school district and ruled on Wednesday that the principal's orders to make the surveillance mandatory were a violation of the student's speech and religion.

NBC Latino has also filed a video report on Hernandez's religion-focused protest against this new program. It can be watched below: