North Carolina teacher suspended for allegedly separating students in class by religion

A high school teacher in North Carolina has been suspended with pay for allegedly splitting students in her classroom up based on their religious beliefs.

ABC11 reports the educator, Julia Lopp, who teaches Spanish at South Johnston High School was suspended for an undisclosed period of time as the school district conducts an investigation.

{mosads}Officials at the school district in Johnstown County, about 30 miles south of Raleigh, told the news outlet they are looking into “whether or not she asked students about their beliefs in God.”

Students present in the classroom where the alleged segregating took place and their parents alerted the school district of the incident.

Lopp allegedly told the students that if any of them said anything about the incident, she would “not recommend them for a job or even entrance to college.”

She also reportedly asked those in the classroom about their views on LGBT rights. 

Superintendent Jim Causby in a statement to the news outlet called it “an unfortunate incident and one I wish had not happened.”

“It is never appropriate for a teacher to segregate students based on religious, political or personal beliefs,” he said.

“In fact, it is not appropriate for a teacher to even ask a student what their beliefs are. Our school system takes very seriously the rights of students in these areas and students should never be instructed to not share classroom activities with their parents.”