Testimony of Malcolm Cohen on House Bill 4780 to the West Virginia House of Delegates February 24, 2020
Good morning. My name is Malcolm Cohen. I am a third grader at Piedmont Elementary School. My dad told me about this bill that would put bibles in schools and I thought it was a bad idea. And I’m here to tell you why.
My little brother and I are the only Jewish kids in our school. One day last year, at my after-school program, the teachers taught us about Jesus and made us pledge allegiance to the Bible. It made me feel very worried and confused. I felt like I was doing something wrong.
When my mom came to pick us up, she could tell I was upset. She asked the teachers what was wrong, and they said they had made a mistake. They said me and my little brother shouldn’t have been there while they were teaching about the Bible and Jesus. They said, from now on, they would send me and my little brother to a room by ourselves when they talked about the Bible and Jesus. That solution seemed so, so stupid to me.
How would you feel if you were sent to a room all by yourself just because you are Jewish?
If they have bibles in schools, I think other kids who don’t believe in Jesus will have a tough time like I did. I think you should vote against this bill. Thank you.