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 FORT LAUDERDALE – Two teachers who were removed
from their classrooms after they were accused of sprinkling holy water onto an
atheist colleague have been reinstated, the South
Florida Times has confirmed.
“They will be returning to their classrooms
on Tuesday (June 8),” confirmed Johnny L. McCray Jr. the attorney representing Blanche
Ely High School reading teachers Leslie Rainer and Djuna Robinson.
School officials now say that return will be on Wednesday, June 9, instead.
 Rainer and Robinson were removed from their
classrooms on April 23. The action followed allegations that they sprinkled
holy water onto another teacher who is an avowed atheist, and that they caused
mental injury to students by allegedly making disparaging comments about Haiti.
The Broward Sheriff’s office Child Protective
Investigations Section (CPIS) is conducting a separate investigation into
allegations that the teachers’ alleged remarks about Haiti caused psychological
harm to the students.
Sources close to the investigation who wish
to remain anonymous say BSO’s probe will be closed, likely on
Wednesday, June 9.
Broward schools officials have not
commented on the reinstatement, but McCray said his clients received calls on
Monday from Richard Mijon, personnel administrator in the school district’s
Special Investigative Unit (SIU), advising the teachers to return to duty.
Mijon did not return calls about the new
developments, but McCray said his clients will sign forms later today, June 7, indicating
they are aware that they are to report back to their regular duties on Tuesday.
“I have confirmed it with him [Mijon], but
they are saying the investigation is not over; just that there was never any cause
or reasons for them to have been removed from their classrooms in the first
place,” McCray explained.
 Rainer and Robinson, who profess that they
are Christians, were initially accused of sprinkling holy water onto fellow
teacher Schandra Tompkinsel Rodriguez, an avowed atheist. School officials
backed away from that allegation last week.
The allegations stemmed from a March 11 incident in which Rodriguez was in her
classroom with students, discussing the fact that she does not believe in God
or the Bible, according to confidential sources and McCray.
When Rainer and Robinson entered the room, the discussion centered on the Jan.
12 earthquake that devastated Haiti.
A student brought up the Rev. Pat Robertson’s remark that the disaster was
caused by God’s wrath on the island nation because of a pact Haitian leaders purportedly
made with Satan more than 200 years ago, the confidential sources and McCray
said.
A student remarked, “Somebody needs some
holy water.”
That’s when Robinson retrieved a bottle of
perfume and held it up as she stood in the doorway. The teachers have denied spraying
any liquid or making the comments about Haiti.
Rodriguez has not responded to repeated
requests for comment.
“I think that its shows the entire decision
to remove them was calculated with the intent to defame and harass them. The
school board dropped the ball, and they fell for information provided by the
principal, without conducting a diligent review,” McCray said.
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Photo Caption: Reading teachers Djuna Robinson, above, and Leslie Rainer. Schandra Rodriguez, below.
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