High School student faces expulsion for refusal to wear device she believes is satanic

Hernandez

Andrea Hernandez, a student at John Jay High School in San Antonio, Texas, faces expulsion for refusing to carry an identification card that contains an embedded microchip. The school has threatened to expel Hernandez unless an agreement can be reached between the entity and Hernandez' attorneys, who promised a court order, if needed.

The incident arises from a school policy that was adopted early in the year that requires students to carry ID badges that contain an RFID chip for the purposes of tracking the whereabouts of students on the high school campus, thereby making it easier to manage attendance.

Student safety and state funding were cited as the main reasons for issuing the cards, which are also used to access various school programs and functions, such as checking out library books, etc.

Another Texas school has employed the program, calling it a success. The goal is to have the cards utilized in approximately 112 schools, covering about 100k students, overall.

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.

Hernandez is also being represented by the right-wing 'Rutherford Institute,' a non-profit agency based in Virginia that frequently takes on religious-based civil rights cases.

According to multiple reports, the group has notified the Northside Independent School District that they are in the process of securing legal intervention to prevent Hernandez from being expelled on 26 November, citing her religious beliefs.

The school's offer to have Hernandez wear a modified ID card that had a bar-code instead of an RFID chip was rejected. The Hernandez family has a back-up plan in the event the expulsion is carried out. They will transfer her to William Howard Taft High School, which is approximately ten miles away.

Al Stefanelli

Al serves on the Board of Directors for The Clergy Project, and is the former Georgia State Director for American Atheists, Inc. He is a retired journalist and the author of "Free Thoughts - A Collection Of Essays By An American Atheist" and "A Voice Of Reason In An Unreasonable World - The Rise Of Atheism On Planet Earth." Al began writing in 1985, starting with the New York Times. In 1993 he joined a McClatchy newspaper, writing a weekly column for ten years. His writing continues to be widely distributed on the Internet and in print. He also produced and hosted a weekly syndicated radio broadcast for three years and was the founder and President of the former United Atheist Front, Inc., which functioned as a civil rights organization. Al is a former Southern Baptist Pastor, having served two churches and as pulpit supply for three counties. Currently, he writes for The God Discussion, hosts his own blog on WordPress, submits content to a variety of publications, and co-hosts "American Heathen Radio" and "Reap Sow Radio." Al lives in Peachtree City, GA., a suburb of Atlanta.

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