Telšiai
Grade 10-B homeroom teacher (Mrs.) Rumbutienė of the Fifth Middle School did not allow her students to attend the funeral of their classmate's mother on November 21, 1977. The students carried their wreaths only to the grave.
Šiauliai
Principal Snieškus of the Šiauliai Middle School summoned the father of 9th-grade student Dalia Jadikavičiutė on April 1, 1978, and attempted to persuade him that the faith was blocking Dalia's road to higher education. In the principal's view, Dalia belongs to some kind of "sect" and can "get into all kinds of trouble." The father was reminded that security organs have shown an interest in Dalia and that she has to justify her actions, and moreover that she should not belong to any "sects" or communities which often violate Soviet laws.
Šiauliai
On October 18, 1977, Principal Jonaitienė of the Eighth Middle School in Šiauliai summoned to her office Grade 11B student Irena Dapkutė.
"Why haven't you joined the Communist Youth League? Won't your mother let you?"
"No. I myself don't wish to join." "Why? Do you go to church?" "Yes."
Assistant Principals Lukšienė and Martinaitis were present at the student's "education." Disappointed at the outcome of the conversation, the principal mockingly said:
"I've worked for sixteen years, but till now I have not met such a fanatically believing girl. I cannot understand what kind of upbringing you have at home."
Upon learning that Irena has a brother, the principal asked, "Do you also take him to church?"
"No. He goes on his own."
The interrogation in the principal's office lasted an entire hour.
Other eleventh grade students who do not belong to the Communist Youth were also summoned to the principal's office. Those who promised to join the Communist Youth League were left alone.
Reference letters for eleventh-grade students were under consideration somewhat later. The following was written about Dapkutė: "The girl is religious and stubbornly, almost fanatically, defends her beliefs. She was raised in a religious family, helped conduct religious services in church, perhaps that is why the inducements of neither her teachers nor her friends have had any effect on her, nor did the scientific education gained in school. She is stubborn and obstinate when it comes to defending her opinion and beliefs."
Šiauliai
Just before Christmas, 1977, atheist leader Grebeničenkaitė of the Eight Middle School in Šiauliai made plans for an atheist program on Christmas Eve. She forced students to play the roles of religious persons, etc. The teacher scorned in particular those students who attend church. She threatened that students who do not attend the atheist program would receive failing grades in mathematics or lower deportment grades.
Kretinga
Beginning in October 1977, students of the Kretinga Second Middle School began to serve in church at Holy Masses. The school administration assailed 8th-grade student Saulius Katkus:
"Why do you serve at Mass?"
"Because I want to."
"We will expel you from school."
"I will enroll in another."
"Maybe you will decide to enter the seminary?"
"I still have time to think about it," Saulius persisted.
Shortly thereafter, the homeroom teacher came to see Saulius' mother and asked that she forbid her son to serve at Mass. The mother refused.
Principal Kecorius, communist youth league secretary Aleksandravičiūtė and homeroom teacher Raguckas used intimidation in attempting to secure a promise from students Eugenijus Drun-gila and Antanas Puškorius to stop serving at Mass.
Kybartai
Lithuanian language teacher (Mrs.) Sukackienė ordered Grade 8A students to memorize an atheist poem or read something on an atheist subject. Most students did not do the assignment. The teacher then threatened to give failing grades the next time. Several girls protested stating they were believers and would not recite atheist poems against their beliefs. One of the girls brought in the poem "Hymn to Honor" by B.(ernardas) Brazdžionis to read, but the teacher did not allow her to do so, saying that this was not a poem but a religious hymn. Teacher Sukackienė forced the believing girls to memorize something fromTales of a Rabbit, which she had brought.
Kybartai
An old man was being buried at the Kybartai church on May 5, 1978. Grade 6B homeroom teacher (Miss) Strakauskaitė ordered her students to leave after they placed their wreaths near the coffin in church. That is a typical trait of atheist fanaticism in Lithuania. Teachers are forced to act this way by the school administration, and the latter by the rayon education department.
Stebuliai (R a y o n of Lazdijai)
Grammar school students are forced to join the Pioneers and the Communist Youth League. The students who are forcibly enrolled in the Pioneers are compelled to wear the red Pioneer neck-kerchief. Teachers often hear the following reply: "I would rather spend 75 kopecks on candy than on a pioneer scarf."
On April 4, 1978, 7th-Grade students were ordered to join the Communist Youth League. All students were kept after school and were called by two's to the teachers' room. Teacher (Mrs.) Eugenija Smaidžiūnienė assured them of the benefits of the Communist Youth League as follows: "Those who join the Communist Youth will be given good recommendations, those who do not will be black-listed. . . Those who join the youth league will go to Zarasai, but those who refuse to join will stay home."
Teacher Smaidžiūnienė assigns atheist compositions to believing children, thus clearly discriminating against religious students.
During December 1977, an atheist program was held at the school, during which poems were read and stories were told, ridiculing priests and the faith.
Leipalingis
Middle School Biology Teacher Vytautas Česnulis is a very avid disciple of atheism. He often turns his classes into lectures on atheism, ridiculing the faithful and religion. One eleventh-grade student described Česnulis' propaganda as "typical of Lithuania's atheists in its foolishness, cynicism and lack of understanding about religion."
Užuguostis (R a y o n of Prienai)
This year during Easter, the church was full of not only adult believers, but also school-age children. Spies and representatives of the local government were in church from the very start of the services. These individuals came to the sacristy to make a list of the children attending the services and berated the pastor for organizing school children to participate actively at services. The pastor, the Rev. Zenonas Navickas, explained that he would not sign the report and will continue to organize children. "I do not meddle with Communist children, you can therefore rear your children as you like, but from believing parents I require and will continue to require that their children attend church," the pastor asserted.
Prienai
Immediately after Easter 1978, class 7A homeroom teacher Žemaitienė of the Prienai Second Middle School scolded students Kazlauskaitė, Sinkevičiūtė and Krikščiūnaitė for participating in the Easter Procession. Student Sinkevičiūtė explained that her grandmother and her mother went to church, she therefore would also go.
Prienai
The pastors of Pakuonis, Skriaudžiai and Užuguostis were summoned on April 17, 1978 to the Prienai Rayon Executive Committee. Rayon Vice-Chairman Morkvėnas berated the pastors for allowing children to participate in religious ceremonies during Easter. The pastor of Pakuonis, Rev. Tėvelis, retorted that a priest is not a militiaman and will not chase children from the altar. The other priest explained: "You adopted a beautiful Constitution, so be kind enough to observe it."
Aukštadvaris (R a y o n of Trakai)
At the Aukštadvaris Middle School, Fifth-grade pupil Saulius Sekonas and eight-grade student Piliukas were ridiculed in the school's satirical newspaper for taking advantage of the laws of the freedom of conscience. Their offense: going to church to pray.
Seventh-grade students Baranauskaitė and Kalinkevičius were sternly warned to stop attending Church on Sundays.
Seventh-grade student Špiliauskaitė was threatened by the school party secretary with lower deportment grades and mockery in the school newspaper if she continues going to church.
The faithful of Aukštadvaris take their children to other churches.
Palanga
On March 30, 1978, Teacher (Mrs.) Jovaišienė of the Second Middle School came to see grade 4A student Stonkutė at home and explained to her parents that children cannot be taken to church. In school, this teacher tells students to draw pictures of God and scorns the faith. This year, she has already four times ordered her students to fill our questionnaires on the faith. Teacher Jovaišienė and her husband visited grade 4A student Senavaitis and forcibly enrolled him in the Pioneers.
Ignalina
Ten-year-old Rimas Stukėnas died in a tragic accident and was buried in Ignalina on June 27, 1977. Many people attended the funeral, especially young people and children. People surged to the Lord's Table during Holy Mass. About 200 people received Holy Communion. Only Rimas' classmates could not do so. They were led from the church by Teacher (Mr.) E. Juodagalvienė who kept them in her apartment until the coffin was carried from the church. Rimas' classmates were again allowed to join the funeral procession in the street.
Zuikai (R a y o n of Ignalina)
Zuikai Grammar School teachers persuaded fourth-grade student Rimutė Balčiūnaitė to join the Pioneers. The girl agreed. The teachers gave the girl a pen, a booklet and a scarf as gifts. When she returned home (Village of Didžiasalis) the girl told her parents. The parents ordered the girl to withdraw from the Pioneers. When she returned to school the following day, she asked the teachers to cross her off the Pioneers. At first they refused, but when the girl began to cry they crossed her off. Later, Party Secretary Sidorov and State Farm Chairman A. Balčiūnas went to see the girl's parents and intimidated them in various ways.
Zuikai
In November 1977. Zuikai Grammar School Teacher (Mrs.) A. Garlienė searched the pockets of seventh-grade student Balčiūnas and confiscated the rosary she found there. The teacher returned the rosary a month later.
