Professor Bans 'God Bless You'

Teachers and professors have long banned students from talking, chewing gum, using their phones, or doing other "disruptive" things in class, but students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley thought one professor went too far by banning the act of blessing a person after a sneeze. "Please refrain from saying, 'God bless you' during the classes and exams," reads the class syllabus that recently went viral after it was posted on social media after the first day of class.

Some students were outraged ("first amendment, freedom of religion," says one), prompting the university to release an official statement noting, "The intent was not to limit the religious freedoms of UTRGV students, but to avoid unsolicited comments that might distract others." The unnamed professor has since removed the line from the syllabus and said he or she would address any confusion with students, valleycentral.com reports. (More Texas stories.)