Fox News never wastes an opportunity to promote their ongoing meme that Christians are being persecuted while African-Americans, who continue to be the real victims of systemic racism in our justice and economic systems, are portrayed as vicious thugs and violent takers. This morning's Fox & Friends, Roger Ailes' consigliore and Catholic Knight of Malta Peter Johnson Jr. featured the story of a poor Christian student who was suspended from a Tennessee school because she said "bless you" during a class. Of course there's lots more to the story - but this is Fox & Friends where things are kept quite simple....

Johnson reported that the student was suspended for saying "bless you" after somebody in the class sneezed. The chyron reinforced his claim: "Sneezing Suspension, Teen Suspended for Saying 'Bless You'." He introduced the student, Kendra Turner, who was "speaking out for the first time on Fox & Friends." (Quell Suprise!) Turner was accompanied by a lawyer from the Christian advocacy group, the Liberty Institute which involves itself in things near and dear to Fox such as defending Christian religious symbols on public lands. Turner was accompanied by her attorney, Jeremy Dys who was involved in one of the many cases of alleged Christian persecution being pimped by Fox's Todd Starnes.

Johnson kept with the student's version of things when he encouraged her to talk about "what happened when you said 'bless you' after another student sneezed." Turner said she said "bless you," after a student sneezed and when the teacher confronted her about why this was acceptable, Turner told her that her parents and pastor taught her that this is a courtesy. The chyron reinforced the sneezing story as Fox Fact: "A Simple Sneeze, Student Kicked Out of Class Over Courtesy." After Johnson asked about what happened next, Turner claimed that the teacher told another student, who asked her why she objected to Turner's comment, that "there will be no godly speaking in the class and that's when I said my pastor told me that it's my constitutional right and my freedom of religion and freedom of speech." She said that she was "sent to the office."

Johnson commented that "the roots of bless you go back to 77AD." and asked if Turner "has a constitutional right to say bless you" to another student who sneezes in class. Dys said "of course" and referred viewers to his group's website which features lots more persecuted Christian stories. He whined about how student's can't engage in religious speech at schools and how this latest outrage is "unlawful." The chyron pimped the propaganda as Fox Fact: "Removed for Religion, Student Forced Out of Classroom for a Phrase."

Johnson cited other words, shown in a photo of the words written on a whiteboard, that are supposedly "banned" in the school. Fox's persecuted Christian narrative was nicely reinforced by Dys next comment, about how "secularists" are trying to ban religion in school." He said that as long as students are following the rules, the teachers should follow the Constitution. Her repeated the website address for Liberty Institute and encouraged viewers to participate in a "Bless You" hashtag campaign.

After Johnson said that Fox reached out to the school, but received no comment, he praised Turner's courage "to speak up and to speak up for the Constitution."

HERE'S THE REAL STORY THAT YOU DIDN'T HEAR ON FOX:

According to school officials, Turner was being disruptive in yelling "bless you" across the classroom. (Not following the rules?) The outburst came after some student told their pastor that this teacher was "demeaning" about their Christian faith. According to the principal, Turner was told to keep quiet after she responded to the sneeze. She took this as an affront to her faith and "the situation escalated."  The principals states that Turner was NOT, as she claims on Facebook, sent out of the classroom, NOT given a suspension, and was NOT punished. She was, however, admonished for being disruptive and when this happened she ran out of the room.

So much for being "fair & balanced." But, hey, when there's propaganda to push who needs details! 

BTW, do ya think Johnson would be supportive of students yelling "inshallah" in class?!