Woman seeks damages from primary school

Published: June 9, 2007 at 2:01 PM
Order reprints
LONDON, June 9 (UPI) -- A British teaching assistant is suing an elementary school in London after being disciplined for refusing to listen to a child read a "Harry Potter" book.

Sariya Allen told a tribunal she resigned from her post at Durand Primary School after being suspended for "her obstructive conduct over time," the Daily Mail reported Saturday. Allen claims she was "harassed, humiliated and discriminated" against because of her religious beliefs.

Her last alleged act of "obstructive conduct" before resigning in 2006 was refusing to listen to a 7-year-old girl read a "Harry Potter" book because she said it was against her Christian faith.

Her employers disciplined her after she told the girl "I don't do witchcraft in any form" and said she would be "cursed" by hearing the novel.

She is seeking about $100,000 in damages from her former school for religious discrimination.

"I admit I said to the child that I don't do witchcraft in any form," she said. "I was put in the position that listening to the child reading this book would compromise my religious beliefs."


© 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



Your Daily Horoscope
The almanac
Panetta: Congress not told of CIA program
Biden goes on the road to defend stimulus
The two-edged sword of online games
Rio Tinto employees face spy charges
Ghana prepared to greet Obama
fark
Tennessee Aquarium presents a bowl full of ugly-ass baby penguin. A little milk and we'll have a...
Judge allows Twitter-using DA to 'tweet' upcoming muder trial over defense objections. Prosecution's...
Photoshop theme: The end of the universe
NY Times thinks their website users would pay five bucks per month. Listen, for the last time, no...
Fewer calories allow monkeys to live longer. Good thing you're not a monkey
"Resident found out it's not OK to shoot raccoons and gerbils...He told police that he and his neighbors...