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'I feel like it's attacking me as a Jew': Florida school worker fears Bible verse on colleague’s parking spot

'It brings me to the verge of tears, because it brings me back to the 6 million that perished,' Marina Gentilesco said, citing the Holocaust

PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA: An instructional assistant at a Florida school has shared that she does not feel okay while crossing her colleague's parking spot every day. As per Marina Gentilesco, she has heard Holocaust stories from her parents and since her co-worker’s parking lot at Wiregrass Ranch High School in Pasco County, Florida, has a verse from Bible, it makes her frightened for being a Jew.

The Philippians 4:13 from the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,” local Fox affiliate Fox 59 reported. But Gentilesco has claimed, “I feel like it’s attacking me as a Jew. It brings me to the verge of tears, because it brings me back to the 6 million that perished. Six million perished because of our faith — because we’re Jews.”

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The school staff member stated that she’s okay with a religious verse written at a church but its presence in a school was not ideal. Gentilesco added, “You put it on a state-funded property. I’m not okay with it.” She complained about it to the school’s principal, who forwarded it to the school district. But Pasco County Schools Public Information Officer Stephen Hegarty reportedly did not agree with Gentilesco’s views.

Hegarty said, “It’s not a violation. This is personal expression. There is no proselytizing going on. It’s not compelling students to do anything one way or the other,” before concluding, “It has nothing to do with instruction. It’s just a teacher expressing themselves just like they might wear a crucifix on their shirt. Teachers and students are free to express themselves.”

The incident has attracted a lot of attention online as a user tweeted, “When the spirit within you irritates their demons🌹🙏🏻.” The second user wrote, “Can't she park somewhere else so that she doesn't have to pass by it?” The third one wrote, “She feels attacked and on the verge of tears, but doesn't mind seeing a biblical display like that at church. Does she not feel attacked when she drives by a church?”

“The culture wars aren’t working. Can you please push an actual conservative agenda that a winning coalition can get behind?! You are helping the ship to sink. We need good policy, not culture wars,” the fourth one wondered. The fifth one stated, “We need to just ignore complaints like this. People will stop when their overreaction of a complaint falls on deaf ears.”

A person commented, “Sounds like to me that the Truth is attacking a soul. Your torment is due to not acceptance of the truth in the world—-Jesus Christ.” Another person shared, “I have been thinking that gun violence, drugs are the most pressing issues in USA public schools, I didn't know bible verses cause such harm that it warrants complaint.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.