A Nashville elementary college has cleared the document of a first-grade instructor who was disciplined for refusing to learn a e book about same-sex marriage to his younger college students, based on a report.
KIPP Antioch Faculty Prep Elementary issued a “remaining warning letter” to instructor Eric Rivera in January after he declined to learn an LGBTQ e book to his class that was included within the language arts curriculum.
Attributable to his Christian beliefs, Rivera mentioned he couldn’t in good conscience learn the e book to his class, based on authorized group First Liberty Institute, and he requested a colleague to learn the e book as a substitute.
The following day, Rivera was summoned to the principal’s workplace and threatened with termination. He was informed he should keep “constancy” to the curriculum, and a self-discipline letter was positioned in his personnel file.
First Liberty mentioned Rivera had obtained no prior warnings and had no self-discipline historical past. Afterward, he requested for a non secular lodging however was as a substitute reassigned to a lab and expertise place after which to a kindergarten place, based on the authorized group.
After dealing with a warning letter from First Liberty in February, KIPP Antioch agreed to clear the incident from Rivera’s document, based on a press launch Monday from the authorized group.
The college will now additionally permit “all academics to ask one other worker to learn supplies objectionable to their religion.”
“We’re happy that the varsity has made the appropriate determination by accommodating Mr. Rivera for his deeply held spiritual views,” mentioned Cliff Martin, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute in a press launch.
“Our shopper is deeply dedicated to instructing and is grateful that his document has been cleared and affordable lodging will likely be supplied going ahead,” he added.
KIPP Antioch Elementary didn’t instantly return Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.
KIPP Antioch Faculty Prep Elementary is a public constitution college licensed by the Tennessee Public Constitution Faculty Fee.
The fee informed native outlet Fox 17 Nashville final month, “All public constitution faculties should observe the identical Tennessee educational requirements as conventional public faculties, and whereas they do have flexibility deciding on curriculum and supplies, they need to nonetheless be aligned with those self same state requirements. All faculties are required to adjust to the prohibited ideas legislation and should present a kind on their web site for reporting violations.
“The Fee supplies a kind for submitting complaints associated to the prohibited ideas legislation in addition to every other violations of constitution college legislation on our web site. Academics and workers at constitution faculties are workers of the varsity or constitution operator and as such all personnel issues are dealt with by the varsity.”
