Ten Commandments Slammed Shut in Florida

Ten Commandments Slammed Shut in Florida

Eric McGlade and

4/23/02 - Booker High School, Sarasota, Fl.(just south of Bradenton) - Four Arrested for handing out gospel tracts!

No graphic signs, no graphic literature, just a hard hitting evangelistic message in a tract titled "You've Been Ripped Off," aimed specifically at this present generation of teens. It was our first tract in a series of five to be passed out each day for five days, which caused the vice principal of Booker High School to have four local, Jesus loving, Christians arrested. Although a number of their brothers and sisters in Christ were on the same sidewalk, only those actually passing out literature were arrested. The four were charged with trespassing on school board property, although the sidewalk where they were standing was on a public thru street and outside of the school gates.

Arrested at Booker: Linda McGlade, Mara McGlade, Julie Dietz, Mike Waskum

Tom McGlade gets arrested

5/10/02 - Palmetto High School, Palmetto, Fl. (just north of Bradenton) - Six Arrested for displaying the Ten Commandments

Two large placards (4'x6') displaying the Ten Commandments were held at the two entrances of Palmetto High School. Tracts were distributed to students explaining these awesome principles of God. All of this was done on public property. Six Christians were arrested by the city police at the direction of school principal, vice principal, and the school administrator. The placards were trampled and confiscated. Originally, all were arrested for "trespassing," but when the police discovered the property was public right of way, the charges were changed to "disruption of school function." Those arrested were kept in jail until the following morning! (Except for Eric, who is a juvenile and was let out that afternoon. Once again, it has been made clear that the Ten Commandments are a major threat to the public school system.

Christian students who took material onto the school property had their tracts forcefully taken by school principal and administrator. Some were later called into the principal's office to be reprimanded for the actions. One student had his coming graduation threatened.

The arrests came after two days of morning tract distribution prior to the school session. Each day a different tract was offered. The first day, we gave the students, the "You've Been Ripped Off" tract - an "in your face" gospel reality check aimed at high school students. The second day, "What They Didn't Tell You," - a tract which contains a little history of our nation and the importance the Bible played in every aspect of public life. On the third day - Rusty's, "Words to Live By" tract, which uses the Ten Commandments to lead us to repentance and the Lord, was offered as well as the display of the Ten Commandment placards, which were held on the school side of the road. After the arrests, some of the believers returned to the school to distribute tracts as the students were leaving school! Each day we were threatened with arrest if we stepped onto the sidewalk on the side of the school. The third day, we took our stand on that public sidewalk!

Arrested at Palmetto High: Tom McGlade, Keith McGlade, Rachel McGlade, Eric McGlade, Josh Turk, Clint Murphy

Please pray for our attorneys, Fred Mercurio (Sarasota), Richard Buckle (Bradenton) and Rick Nelson with the American Liberties Institute. Please pray for OSA/SRQ (Manatee & Sarasota) as we work with you to disciple the nations.

Keith McGlade asks to have his 10 Commandment sign back as
the principal holds it hostage