Satanic Clubs in Public Schools to Counter Jesus

The Satanic Temple has launched a nation-wide campaign to force public schools to sanction “Educatin’ with Satan” after-school programs in every school that allows Christian clubs.  Stu De Haan, a spokesman for the Satanic Temple’s Arizona chapter, said he has received expressions of interest in the new clubs from parents, teachers and students.

“[Schools] cannot prohibit students from forming an After School Satan Club on the same terms as the [Christian] Good News Club.”
-- Richard Katskee, Americans United for Separation of Church and State

For background, read Satanic, Atheist Books Provided in Colorado Schools and also read Bible Ban Forced by Atheists and Satanists

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Satan on Throne at Oklahoma Capitol with ACLU Help

Satanists Team Up with Abortionists vs. Missouri Law

Satanists to Lead 'Prayer' in Phoenix Government

Satanists Join Muslims in Minnesota & California



-- From "Satanist after-school clubs planned in Washington elementaries" by Ann Dornfeld, KUOW-FM94.9 (Seattle, WA) 8/4/16

The Satanic Temple says it’s bringing the After-School Satan club to schools across the country that now host the evangelical Christian Good News Club, including Centennial Elementary in Mount Vernon and Point Defiance Elementary in Tacoma.

Tarkus Claypool, a spokesman for the Satanic Temple’s Seattle chapter, said the Good News Club indoctrinates children into superstitious, fear-based religion. In contrast, Claypool said, "we’re indoctrinating them into scientific, logical, rationalist, non-superstitious worldview. The program includes an art project and a curriculum that is based in free inquiry.”

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution allows Good News Clubs [sponsored by the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF)] to meet on school grounds.

The Satanic Temple opposes religion in the schoolhouse, but says if it’s allowed, the same privilege must be granted to all religions.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Several school districts say After School Satan clubs likely in line with policies" by Katherine Stewart and Moriah Balingit, Washington Post 8/1/16

Several U.S. school districts indicated Monday that they think the Satanic Temple’s plan to open “After School Satan” clubs in elementary schools probably conforms with their policies and local laws, and the Prince George’s County, Md., school system said it is reviewing a request to open such a club.

Parents and administrators have reacted coolly to the idea of setting up a Jesus-vs.-Satan fight in their elementary schools, with many showing curiosity and skepticism. School officials in Prince George’s said they have received a request to start a club and are reviewing it, but the school system has not had any discussions with the Satanic Temple about it. The Temple said it wants to open a club at Bradbury Heights Elementary School, which is in the Capitol Heights neighborhood just outside the southeast edge of Washington.

Martha Wright, executive director of CEF of Maryland, acknowledged that the Satanic Temple has a right to have clubs in schools but also said she doesn’t really want the group there.

CEF actively works to counteract Satan in its work, and a CEF instruction book titled “Guard Your Heart” promises “a flocked lesson helping kids ages 6-11 guard against Satan’s attacks.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "After School Satan Club proposal spurs debate on religious activity in public schools" by Katherine Stewart, Washington Post 8/4/16

The Satanic Temple’s proposal to start After School Satan Clubs in schools across the country already has sparked conflict with at least one school district and has led a legal group to offer free assistance in fighting the emergence of the clubs.

The Roskruge Bilingual K-8 School in Tucson is one of eight schools that received a written proposal to establish an After School Satan Club on Monday, and on Tuesday, lawyers for the Tucson Unified School District demanded that the Satanic Temple remove the school’s name from its website. The temple listed Roskruge as a place where it has offered to present its curriculum, but the district argues that no club has been approved there.

Lucien Greaves, co-founder of the Satanic Temple, said the group does not intend to take the school’s name off its website. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Schools receive requests for after-school ‘Satan club’" by The Associated Press 8/4/16

Mat Staver, founder of a Christian legal aid group that has represented the Child Evangelism Fellowship, said Greaves’ organization was illegitimate and an “atheist group masquerading” as religious. Greaves described Satanism as an atheist philosophy whose believers “feel it provides everything a religion provides to be legitimized as such.”

Greaves said his group could pose tough legal fights if its requests are denied.

In Utah, the Granite School District said that if the group meets set requirements, including paying rent, there’s nothing the district can do to stop it. District spokesman Ben Horsley said the group won’t be able to put up fliers in schools or talk to students during school hours, the same arrangement given to the Good News Club.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Supreme Court Justice Scalia Said Government Should Favor God of the Bible

And read Justice Scalia Said Satan is Real, Journalist Dumbfounded

School, Cops Threaten Bible-sharing 7-year-old

Administrators at Desert Rose Elementary School in Palmdale, California banned first-grader Caleb Zavala from sharing Bible verses (notes given to him by his mother, Christina Zavala) to classmates during lunchtime, and then the Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff was dispatched to the family home to further forbid the boy from sharing his faith with anyone, anywhere on school property because "someone might be offended."

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Texas Teacher Confiscates Bible from Second-grader

Teacher Bans Free Time Bible Reading in Missouri

Ban Christians From Missouri Schools, Atheists Say

Go To Jail for Bible Speech, Say Univ. of Texas Police

Bibles Removed, Deviant Sex Housing Added at Illinois Univ.

Bible Verse Gets Georgia Student Athlete Disqualified

Bible Harmful to Students, Must Ban: Parents Say

Yet in Colorado Schools, Satanic and Atheist Books are Provided to Students

Click for Fox News interview with family and attorney

-- From "School Calls Sheriff to Stop 7-Year-Old From Handing Out Bible Verses" posted at Santa Monica Observer 6/5/16

When one child shared one of these notes with the first-grade teacher, telling her, "this is the most beautiful story I've ever seen," the teacher intervened. After publicly rebuking the Zavala boy, she called Mr. and Mrs. Zavala and, invoking separation of church and state, told them that their son was not allowed to share bible verses on school grounds. The teacher was unimpressed with Mrs. Zavala's correct interpretation of the Establishment Clause and stated that if they wanted to share bible, it would have to be outside the school gates.

According, Mrs. Zavala and her son proceeded to hand out bible verses and stories to her son's friends at the school gate for a brief period after school let out. According to the Zavala's many children congregated to receive the stories.

On May 9, 2016, when Mr. Jaime Zavala came to pick up his son and distribute bible verses, he was approached by School Principal Pagliagro. Pagliagro told Mr. Zavala that it was "against school policy" to hand the bible notes out at the school gate and they would have to move onto the sidewalk, which was a "public place." Jaime and his son complied and soon returned home. It was at 4:30 pm on that day that the LA Deputy Sheriff knocked on their door, telling them the school had called to report that the child and his parents had been sharing papers at school and that this was not permitted.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "School Calls Sheriff On Seven Year Old For Sharing Bible Verses" posted at Law Officer 6/6/16

Mrs. Zavala made it a practice of including a Bible verse and encouraging note in her son’s lunch bag. The boy would tell his friends about the note and read them aloud at the lunch table.

It wasn’t long before children asked for copies of the notes and Mrs. Zavala obliged – including a brief note to explain the daily Bible verse.

“This is a clear, gross violation of the rights of a child,” said Horatio Mihet, a Liberty Counsel attorney representing the first-grader who attends Desert Rose Elementary School in Palmdale. They are also representing his parents, Christina and Jaime Zavala.

“It was outrageous and should shock the conscious of every freedom-loving American,” Mihet told me. “Apparently all the real criminals have been dealt with in Palmdale – and now they’re going after kids who share Bible verses during lunch time.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Elementary School Calls Police on 7-Y-O Boy for Sharing Bible Verses" by Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter 6/3/16

The Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit litigation organization which specializes in defending religious freedom, has since sent a letter to the Palmdale School District to inform the administration of the correct interpretation of the clause establishing separation of church and state, arguing that pupils have the right to exercise freedom of speech through printed materials.

"Therefore, it was improper to ban student religious discussion during lunchtime. The district cannot suppress and censor this discussion, or the one-page notes consisting of Bible stories and verses placed by C's mother in C's lunch for his own personal enjoyment and edification; which he voluntarily chose to share with his little friends during non-instructional time; which interested classmates were free to accept or refuse, at their own discretion," the letter stated.

"The additional copies requested by C from his mother, for his friends (who had specifically requested them from him), are likewise protected, and fall into no classification of material that might be lawfully prohibited by the school district," it added.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read U.S. Military Strips Bibles From 'Christian Terrorists'

However, Supreme Court Justice Scalia Said Government Should Favor God of the Bible

Atheists Threaten Florida School Board over Prayer

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has informed the Duval County School Board (DCSB) of Jacksonville, Florida that offering the opportunity for clergy to give an invocation before its monthly board meeting begins is unconstitutional, but most board members disagree.

“We should continue to support religious liberty.”
-- Jason Fischer, DCSB board member

“I feel good about where we are today.  I feel good about what we're doing.  If [the FFRF] want to pursue it further [to court], that's certainly their option.  My biggest concern is this becomes a distraction to education.”
-- Scott Shine, DCSB board member

For background, read U.S. Supreme Court 2014 Ruling Allows Christian Prayer in Civic Meetings, in fact Supreme Court Justice Scalia Said Government Should Favor God of the Bible

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Prayer Stays in Florida School, Opposing Atheists

Florida Battles Satanic 'Prayer' at Civic Meetings City-by-City

Atheists Say Prayer for Terror-victims is Unconstitutional

Kentucky School Supt. Backs Prayer vs. Atheists

Texas School Supt. Tells Anti-prayer Atheists to Go Fly a Kite



-- From "National group calls Duval school district prayer 'unconstitutional'" by Jason Rantala, WTLV-TV12 (Jacksonville, FL) First Coast News 5/12/16

Schoolboard Chairman Ashley Smith Juarez said they will be consulting the Office of General Council to decide what to do regarding prayer.

Juarez said she cannot recall someone actually complaining about prayer during a meeting.

"We have had members from a variety of religions and a variety of voices there during that time. I do think that is important and it will be something we will continue to focus on in the future," said Juarez.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Non-profit groups wade into Duval County School Board prayer controversy" by Robert Alonso, WOKV-FM104.5 5/13/16

2 non-profit groups reached out to the school board recently about starting off its meetings with a prayer.

The Orlando-based Liberty Counsel did likewise 3 days later, offering to help the district should the FFRF try to take the matter to court.

In its letter, the LC says the FFRF is "litigious", often unsuccessful in court and in the wrong morally and legally.

Earlier this year, the DCSB altered its opening prayer to add a "thought for the day" option, something district officials called an effort to be more inclusive.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Complaint about prayer at Duval School Board meetings stirs debate" by Denise Smith Amos, Florida Times-Union 5/11/16

At most meetings, nearly everyone stands and bows their heads during the invocation, and usually a pastor, priest or other minister prays aloud at the podium. Often the person praying invokes the name of Jesus.

. . . the Liberty Counsel also wrote to each School Board member, urging them to continue with praying during invocation. Richard L. Mast Jr., a Lynchburg, Va., attorney with the Liberty Counsel, offered to provide pro bono assistance to the district.

The Liberty Counsel cited a 2014 US Supreme Court ruling, Town of Greece v. Galloway, saying it “confirmed the constitutionality of prayers given before legislative bodies.”

The Liberty Counsel also referred to a 1994 11th Circuit Court case involving Duval Schools. The court’s ruling in that case allowed religious messages by students, by valedictorians and by graduation speakers.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Prayer Banned in Washington Town — Nobody Cares

Florida School vs. Obama Transgender Bathroom Regs

This week, the Marion County Public Schools of Ocala, Florida enacted a policy in a direct challenge to President Obama's Department of Education heavy-handed edict that schools nationwide must allow men to use girl's restrooms, locker rooms, and showers.

"My concern is that some pervert looking for the opportunity to dress up as a transgender and [prey on] innocent children and because of their perverted action scars [our] children for life."
-- Parent testimony to school board

"There is no legal mandate requiring the district to override the privacy rights of students and concerns of parents, by permitting gender-confused (or attention-seeking) students to inappropriately use restrooms and facilities reserved for the opposite sex.  No school district has ever lost federal funding for maintaining gender-appropriate facilities, despite the claims of activists."
-- Roger K. Gannam, Liberty Counsel (offered to represent school board)

For background, read Department of Education Demands Communal Nudity in Public Schools Using Full Force of Federal Government and now Hillary Clinton Promises Even MORE 'Transgender/Gay Rights'

UPDATE 5/7/16: Illinois Parents Sue School and President Obama over his Transgender Restroom Edict

Also read how enclosed restrooms will soon be eliminated to protect women and children from sexual predators.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

President Obama's OSHA Teams Up with EEOC to OK Perverts in Employees' Restrooms

Washington, D.C.'s Bathroom 'Bigot Snitch' Law

Virginia Bathroom Privacy Bill Defeated in Legislature

Women's Voices Silenced: Washington Transgender Restrooms

Transgender Restrooms Evolve for South Dakota Schools



-- From "Marion school board blocks transgender kids from choosing restroom" by The Associated Press 4/26/16

A north Florida school board has approved a measure to limit restrooms to students based on their birth sex, not their gender identity.

Board member Carol Ely says transgender students shouldn't get to choose which restroom to use, adding it's "reverse discrimination."

The district started allowing transgender students to choose their restroom two months ago. But a parent claimed his son's privacy rights were being violated because he's not comfortable sharing a restroom with a student who was born female but now identifies as male.

Roger Gannam, an attorney for the conservative legal group Liberty Counsel, is representing the parent of the student who complained. He argued that there is no legal mandate requiring the district to permit transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Marion County School Board rules students must use restroom of biological gender" by Erik Sandoval and Troy Campbell, Reporters, WKMG-TV6 (Orlando, FL) 4/27/16

The new rule takes effect immediately, and the decision brought cheers from the hundreds who gathered at Tuesday night's school board meeting.

The school board resolution says transgender students are not protected by law and that students expect not to see people of the opposite sex in the bathroom.

School board vice chairwoman, Kelly King, said that the alternative [private/uni-sex] bathrooms are a safe place for transgender students. King also said she too expects lawsuits if the board approves the restriction.

"We know either way, we are probably going to have some lawsuits. You know, lawsuits regardless," King said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "ACLU warns Marion County Schools of possible legal issues with bathroom policy" posted at WCJB-TV20 (Gainesville, FL) 4/26/16

In a work session last week, four of the five board members voted to restrict school bathrooms to students based on their birth sex, not based on their gender identity. School Board Chairman Bobby James was the only dissenter and said he wanted to continue to treat transgender issues on a case-by-case basis.

The letter, written by ACLU of Florida LGBT rights staff attorney Daniel Tilley, warns that the policy would not only be harmful to students but would also "violate Title IX sex discrimination requirements, violate the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution and jeopardize federal funding for the school district."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Bathroom ban imposed: School Board blocks transgender kids from choosing restrooms" by Joe Callahan, Staff writer, Ocala StarBanner 4/26/16

. . . Superintendent George Tomyn said the board should wait if they wanted this to be a rule, or policy, and that they were not following proper protocol. [Board member Nancy] Stacy said this was not a rule, but a resolution as a statement to the community. Stacy called for the vote and it passed 4-1.

The local issue began two months ago after the district started allowing transgender students to choose their bathroom, stating that the Office for Civil Rights has made it clear that transgender students have that right.

Two weeks ago, local veterinarian Hal Phillips appeared at a board work session and said his son's Fourth Amendment rights had been violated. Phillips said his son – who attends Vanguard High -- was not comfortable sharing a bathroom with a transgender student, who was born female but now identifies as being male.

The Fourth Amendment protects the privacy of all students, “including bodily privacy in the context of restrooms and locker rooms,” according to board attorney Steven Lake, who shared a PowerPoint about prior court cases at a recent work session.

[Attorney Roger] Gannam, wrote that “students with gender confusion who truly believes he or she is the opposite sex should be treated with care, compassion, and kindness, but must not be officially affirmed in his or her confusion, no matter how sincerely-held.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "A Florida school board just blocked transgender kids from choosing bathrooms" by Elahe Izadi, Washington Post 4/27/16

Conservative legal group Liberty Counsel represented the parent, Harrell “Hal” Phillips and his son, who the organization described as “devout Christians who believe strongly in both biblical modesty and constitutional privacy.”

Phillips’s son was “extremely upset” that a transgender student was using the boys’ bathroom, the group wrote. “This was a place where he has a reasonable expectation that he will not encounter the opposite sex. This deeply violated his religious beliefs of personal modesty and his constitutional rights to privacy.”

According to the measure, single-sex bathrooms and locker rooms designated for girls are restricted to people “who are biological females.” The same goes for facilities designated for boys and people “who are biological males.”

Students who want to use alternative facilities “shall always be offered comparable facilities, as required by law,” the measure states.

The measure also states that transgender individuals are “not a protected class” under the school district’s policies.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Transgender Students Now Have To Follow A New Bathroom Policy In Marion County" by Isabella Alsina, WUFT-TV5/WJUF-FM89.1 (PBS/NPR Gainesville, FL) 4/27/16

After 46 public comments, the board passed the resolution with a 4-1 vote. About 250 people cheered, sang Christian songs and waved banners that read, “God Belongs In My City.”

“The safety issue is the biggest,” said Carol Ely, the school board member for district 2. “Although nothing has happened yet, we’re going to see some things happening.”

Transgender students, former Marion County teachers, pastors, and concerned parents filled the meeting room, office, and parking lot of the school board’s building. Some wore Equality Florida stickers while most wore red stickers reading, “We Stand With God.”

“We cannot help that the Department of Education… is now working under an illegal, unadvertised rule,” said Nancy Stacy, school board member for District 1. “The Federal Department of Education doesn’t even have a right to constitutionally exist. I believe this rule is completely illegal.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read American Consumers Target Anti-family Business Favoring Transgenders

And read Transgenderism is a 'Delusion' According to Victims and Professionals

Tenn. School Defies Gay Agenda Intimidation Tactic

Despite state-wide and national pressure by threatening homosexualists, the Franklin County (Tennessee) School Board stood firm this week and voted just shy of unanimity to require parental approval of any student admittance to extracurricular clubs, which is likely to terminate the newly-created Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club.

"For my children, myself and what I truly believe is the majority of residents in Franklin County, I will not be browbeaten, threatened or bullied into compromising my values or belief system."
-- Chris Guess, school board member

For background, read Mississippi School Attacked for Countering 'Gay Clubs' and also read Gay Clubs Required in Schools, Says Obama White House

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Florida School Rejects Gay Agenda ENDA Proposal

New Jersey Parents Reject School's New Transgender Policy

Parents' Lawyer Halts Wisconsin School Transgender Sneak Attack

Missouri Residents Protest Transgender/Gay Boy in Girls Locker Room



-- From "Franklin Co. board requires permission to join GSA, other clubs" by Brian Wilson, The Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro, TN) 4/13/16

Critics have called for clubs with religious or sexual intents to not be allowed at public schools, while supporters have said the club provides a safe place for people to be themselves that can only be provided in an extracurricular setting.

The new opt-in policy would likely require major efforts and paperwork to enforce the policy in the county, said Chris Sanders, the executive director of Tennessee Equality Project, which has been following the debate.

State law allows parents to opt their children out of extracurricular activities. The Franklin County rules would require a signed and dated form from a parent or guardian before the student could become a member of the club or organization.

The school board also approved a policy that would allow a school principal to revoke a club's status if the organization failed to "comply with board policy and administrative standards."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Extra-curricular clubs: School Board affirms parental approval" by Brian Justice, Winchester Herald Chronicle 4/11/16

The controversy over the club has filled the past several School Board meetings.

[Board Member Chris] Guess said Monday the circumstances had become personally threatening toward him through emails he has received about the issue. He said his job status and livelihood were brought into question over his stance about requiring parents to opt their children into extracurricular clubs.

He said the Gay-Straight Alliance Club was founded over a concern about bullying, yet the tactics being used by supporters against those in opposition were, in essence, bullying.

Dr. Amie Lonas, the school system’s director, said working out the details to implement the change could take several months, but the new policy should be fully in place by July 1 when the school system’s new fiscal year begins.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Tenn. parents fight Gay-Straight Alliance in high school" posted at CBS News 2/9/16

At a school board meeting [in February], resident Robert Widelick took to the microphone and said he doubted the [GSA] agenda that he claims they're trying to impose on people who attend their meetings.

"There's really no place for discussion of sexual orientation in a public high school," Widelick said.

Dozens of supporters stood up, cheered and waved towels and signs after Widelick shared his opinion at the meeting.

Franklin County Schools Director Amie Lonas said the [GSA] organization, which was created to promote tolerance and acceptance, followed the proper procedure to establish the club. Students say it was really largely done in response to bullying. The group was granted approval to form by school officials in December.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Rural school's Gay-Straight Alliance draws national eye" by Brian Wilson, The Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro, TN) 2/9/16

. . . On social media, a page was created in mid-January to call for members of the Franklin County School Board to move the club off campus because of its controversial nature.

“Schools are for learning the basics we need to get a job after high school or get a secondary education,” said Chris Ball, a parent with children in Franklin County Schools. “We’re here to teach subjects, not to promote certain ways of life.”

Students had been trying to form a [LGBT advocacy] group for weeks, though it wasn’t until [faculty adviser Jennie] Turrell signed onto the group as a sponsor that the organizations finally gained momentum . . . Turrell said she’s received stacks of letters from supporters from states across the country that she’s been able to show students.

The Middle Tennessee chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network [GLSEN] also plans to have 20 people carpool to Winchester to attend the rally and meeting to support students in the club, said Justin Sweatman-Weaver, the Middle Tennessee chapter’s co-chair.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read School Sex Books Mandatory: Virginia Governor Veto

And read Gay Agenda Quiz Guilts Florida Middle Schoolers

Florida School Rejects Gay Agenda ENDA Proposal

The one-town-at-a-time strategy of the Gay/Transgender Agenda hit a road block last week when the Brevard County School Board, after hearing from residents, voted unanimously against an ordinance change proposed by a Heritage High School (Palm Bay, Florida) sexual revolutionary teacher to grant special rights based on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."

"You can see the spirit of the town here. This is not San Francisco, folks. This is Brevard County."
-- Friar Demetri Tsigas, Greek Orthodox priest, Melbourne, FL

"There is a spiritual force here, and it is evil."
-- Terry Rocks, The Brevard Youth Network

"The majority is speaking tonight. We are speaking tonight. We are saying we want God’s word in our public schools. We are the majority. We want godly principles in our public schools. We want Jesus Christ back in our schools."
-- Bradford Cole, resident of Cape Canaveral, FL

For background, read President Obama Forces Wildest Transgender Agenda on School Children Using Full Force of Federal Government and now Hillary Clinton Promises Even MORE 'Transgender/Gay Rights'

Also read Transgender Restrooms for South Dakota Schools Passes

UPDATE 4/2/16: Toilets NOT in Restrooms will be New Design for Transgender Agenda

And read how the Gay/Transgender Agenda attacks one town at a time across America because the sexual revolutionaries have been unable to force the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) through Congress.

Also read Transgenderism is a 'Delusion' According to Victims and Professionals



-- From "Brevard Schools meeting on LGBT rights draws crowds" by Sachelle Saunders - Reporter, WKMG-TV6 (Orlando, FL) 2/24/16

The cause is led primarily by LGBT high school teacher and advocate Daniel Wal-Desousa.

Dozens of parents, grandparents, and Brevard County School workers lined up to express their concern about changing the anti-discrimination policy.

After a more than five-hour meeting, the board ultimately decided to hold off on sending the anti-discrimination policy word changes to a public hearing, until they can all agree on the implications of it.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Brevard school board kills LGBT proposal" by Ilana Kowarski, Florida Today - USA TODAY Network 2/24/16

Nearly 100 people signed up to speak at the meeting, and most of those who spoke were in opposition to the LGBT policy.

Policy opponents said they feared the LGBT policy would mean that those who voice religious objections to gay marriage in local schools would be branded as bigots and disciplined for discrimination. Some opponents said they wanted to preach scripture in schools, and many said they were concerned about transgender individuals using public school bathrooms. They argued that the LGBT policy threatened morality.

The Liberty Counsel, a national litigation and advocacy organization that represents the interests of American evangelical Christians and cultural conservatives, sent a letter to the Brevard School Board prior to this hearing, stating its strong opposition to the LGBT policies and its willingness to legally challenge the policies if they are imposed. That public letter was cited multiple times during the course of the school board hearing.

In the conclusion of its letter, the Counsel added, "If the District enacts these misguided changes, and instead violates the First Amendment rights of other students and teachers, Liberty Counsel stands prepared to advocate on their behalf against the District."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Florida school board unanimously rejects homosexual, transgender concessions" by Fr. Mark Hodges, LifeSiteNews 2/26/16

The [Liberty Counsel] letter continued, "'Sexual orientation' or 'gender identity'...are not like others protected by law.  They are subjective, behavior-based categories, rather than federally-recognized immutable characteristics like race, color, sex, national origin, or constitutionally-protected fundamental rights, like religion."

The letter also notes that the "legal bullying" of the Obama administration's Office of Civil Rights' "baseless" statements "strong-arm[ing] school districts" for transgender bathrooms "cites no legal authority – case law or statutory – for the claim that Title IX now applies to students claiming to be the opposite sex."

"A student with gender confusion who truly believes he or she is the opposite sex should be treated with care, compassion, and kindness, but must not be officially affirmed in his or her confusion, no matter how sincerely-held," the lawyers' letter stated.

"Many parents ... stood up in opposition to this dangerous policy change. We win when we show up," Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said in a press release.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Christian Lawmakers, Gov. Overturn Charlotte, NC Gay/Transgender Agenda Ordinance

Accused Bisexual Abuser Hired by Multiple Schools

Child-Self Porn Legalized in New Mexico: Sexting

Opposing Sexual Deviancy Verboten in California School

PDF: Liberty Counsel letter to Brevard schools

VA School Sued: Letting Girls in Boys Locker Room

Student Jack Doe (a pseudonym) is suing the Fairfax County School Board over its new transgender policy because he “is terrified of the thought of having to share intimate spaces with students who have the physical features of a girl, seeing such conduct as an invasion of his privacy, invasion of fellow students’ privacy and a violation of the though[t] patterns and understanding about male and female relationships which are part of his cultural values.”

For background, read Fairfax County Schools Opens All Restrooms to "Any and All Genders" -- school claims Obama administration has mandated the change by threatening to withhold money

Also read President Obama Forces Wildest Transgender Agenda on Children Using Full Force of Federal Government and now Hillary Clinton Promises Even MORE 'Transgender/Gay Rights'

UPDATE 4/2/16: Toilets NOT in Restrooms will be New Design for Transgender Agenda

-- From "Conservative advocate sues school board over new transgender policy" by Moriah Balingit, Washington Post 12/29/15

Andrea Lafferty, head of the Traditional Values Coalition, and an unnamed high school student filed the suit in Fairfax County Circuit Court last week, arguing that the county school board overstepped its bounds when it changed the policy to bar discrimination of students and staff based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. The suit asks for an injunction to stop the board from implementing the policy.

The lawsuit argues that the Virginia General Assembly has never given school boards the authority to bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Even though Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) issued an opinion in March allowing school boards to add those categories, Lafferty’s lawyers disagreed with his reasoning, saying that the General Assembly never authorized the change.

“The Virginia legislature has already chosen a specific set of categories upon which to outlaw discrimination,” said Horatio Mihet, an attorney with the public interest law firm Liberty Counsel, which is representing Lafferty and the unnamed student. “Gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation are not among those specific categories.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Transgender Protections Spur Suit in Virginia" by Britain Eakin, Courthouse News Service 12/29/15

Several taxpayers filed suit over the policy change last week in Fairfax County Circuit Court, contending that it will cause student confusion, raise privacy and safety issues, and affect both student-to-student and student-teacher relations.

"Inserting undefined terms into the student handbook and thereby subjecting students to discipline without proper notice of the conduct for which they can be suspended exceeds Defendant's authority under Virginia law," the Dec. 21 complaint states.

Mihet said there is nothing in state law or Title IX, the federal law that bars sexual discrimination in education, that would prohibit schools from restricting bathroom use or locker room use. That argument is "devoid of legal merit," he added.

More than 200 parents of students in Fairfax County public schools signed a petition opposing the changes to the nondiscrimination policy, according to the complaint.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "What do you say to a naked girl in the boys room?" by Bob Unruh, World Net Daily 12/30/15

“Because the new policy and code of conduct are not sufficiently defined, Jack Doe has no way of knowing whether he can, for example, question someone who appears to be a girl using the boys’ restroom or locker room, refer to someone by a certain pronoun or even compliment someone on his/her attire without being subject to discipline for ‘discrimination,’” the lawsuit alleges.

“Jack Doe is nervous about having to think about every statement or action and its potential sexual connotations to third parties before interacting with students and teachers, and the prospect of having to interact in such an uncertain environment creates significant distress to the point that it adversely affects his ability to participate in and benefit from the educational program.”

School officials threatened to suspend students for engaging in discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation or even gender expression.

“Jack Doe is particularly distressed about the board’s decision to add ‘gender identity’ to the nondiscrimination policy and to the student code of conduct because ‘gender identity’ is not defined in either the policy or the code, so Jack Doe has no idea what words or conduct might be interpreted as discriminating on the basis of ‘gender identity,’ and therefore does not know what speech or conduct might subject him to discipline, including suspension,” the claim explains.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Virginia School Sued for Illegally Changing Nondiscrimination Policy" by Liberty Counsel 12/21/15

. . . The school board’s actions are unequivocally prohibited by Virginia Code §§1-248, 15.2-965 and under Dillon’s Rule, which prevents local governing bodies, including school boards, from including groups beyond what has been defined as a protected class by the General Assembly. The school board’s law should be automatically found void and reversed.

This lawsuit names the school board in its official capacity and is brought on behalf of Andrea Lafferty, President of Traditional Values Coalition, who is a resident and taxpayer of Fairfax, and also an anonymous family who are taxpayers in Fairfax County and have a minor who is a student in the Fairfax school district. These clients requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation from pro-homosexual activists, which is commonly experienced in these cases.

“It was the reckless, unlawful conduct of the school board that brought unnecessary legal costs upon the district. A school board should be focusing on providing for its students and teachers - not incurring expenses for illegal activities.” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “The strength of America’s foundation is that no school may disregard our laws. Just as a board should be punished for removing ‘race’ or ‘religion’ from its nondiscrimination clause, it is equally liable for punishment for adding groups that are not recognized by Virginia law.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Gender Redefined by New York City Law; Biology Be Damned

And read Transgenderism is a 'Delusion' According to Victims and Professionals

Parents' Lawyer Halts Wisc. School Gay Sneak Attack

Wisconsin liberals are fuming that officials of Mount Horeb Area School District in a small, remote suburb of the liberal-bastion of Madison have caved to so-called homophobic parents who appealed for help from Christian lawyers to stop their elementary school from suddenly launching a transgender indoctrination program on their first-grade children.

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Missouri Residents Protest Transgender/Gay Boy in Girls Locker Room

Illinois Parents Force Gay Agenda Backtrack by School Board

California Parents Stop Sex Worker from Teaching Sex Ed

Kindergartners Taught Sex Change in Maine School

Secret Government-Paid Child Sex Change Surgery in Oregon

President Obama Forces Boys into Girls' Showers in Schools Nationwide

Obama Administration Forces Gay Agenda on Schools via Taxpayer$$

Also read how Parents and Schools are to Blame for Kids' Transgenderism



-- From "Mount Horeb Schools Cancel Book Reading After Threat of Lawsuit" by Dylan Brogan, WORT-FM89.9 (Madison, WI) 11/24/15

On Monday, students at the Mount Horeb Primary Center were scheduled to hear a reading and discussion of “I Am Jazz,” a book about a transgender child.

But the discussion was cancelled after a Christian legal advocacy group threatened the district with a federal lawsuit. The Liberty Council has been listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center [SPLC] for advocating “anti-LGBT discrimination under the guise of religious liberty.”

In a statement from the Mount Horeb Area School District, Director of Student Services Theresa Daane says the school is providing additional time for parents to review the material.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "School Plans On Reading Transgender Book, Receives Lawsuit Threat From Parents" by Jean Marie Abellana, iSchoolGuide.com 11/28/15

Earlier this week, a Dane County school became considerate to transgender-related concerns on school activities when it disseminated information to the students' parents notifying about the planned reading and discussion of "I Am Jazz," a children's book that talks about a transgender girl.

The note [to parents] read that the school stood firm on its position where all of its students deserved to be respected and supported regardless of gender expression and identity; hence, it is, therefore, right for them [students] to be educated about the issue of being transgender. It further noted that while the school respects every family's convictions and beliefs, they encouraged the parents to bring out any concerns about their child's participation in the activity.

While there were others who became amenable to the activity, some "concerned parents" have reached out to the Liberty Counsel, a Florida-based group that considered itself as a "non-profit litigation, education, and policy organization," threatening a lawsuit should the school pursue the book reading activity. The parents claimed that such activity was a "violation of parental rights."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Mount Horeb school cancels reading of transgender book after lawsuit threat" by Ogechi Emechebe, The Capital Times (Madison, WI) 11/27/15

. . . The note [to parents], signed by the principal, school psychologist and a counselor, said that the school was working with a student that identifies as a girl but has male anatomy.

Theresa Daane, director of student services for the Mount Horeb Area School District, provided an initial statement on Tuesday after the reading was cancelled, acknowledging "the need for parents to be given the opportunity to consider and discuss information we provide to their children. Accordingly, we intend to balance these needs and allow parents additional time to review the materials we intend to present to students."

Late Wednesday afternoon, the district issued a press release with updated details. It noted that it had "chosen not to proceed as originally planned and allow the Board of Education the opportunity to review the needs of all involved, and address a situation for which the District has no current policy.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Re: Inappropriate discussion of gender confusion and sexuality with primary school students" letter to Mount Horeb school district from Liberty Counsel 11/20/15

Dear Board President Seidl:

. . . I write on behalf of concerned parents regarding the attached “Dear Parent” letter that was sent November 19, 2015, to parents of primary school students within the Mount Horeb Area School District (“MHASD” or “the District”).

The letter notifies parents that Principal Rachel Johnson, School Psychologist Nicole Tepe, and School Counselor Emily McKee plan to subject Primary School students to a discussion of gender confusion and sexuality, under the guise of “anti-bullying,” “diversity,” and building a “safe and nurturing environment,” by means of reading to First Graders this coming Monday, November 23, “transgender” activist book “I AM JAZZ”. The letter was sent with one business days’ notice and appears designed to catch parents off-guard, to prevent them from opting their children out of this reading and subsequent discussion.

I hereby request the cancellation of this Monday’s planned reading and discussion, to prevent parental rights violations.

. . . as you may know, “Jazz” Jennings is a male child “transgender” activist, who has been permitted to undergo harmful gender reassignment drug therapy and hormone blockers, resulting in permanent physical changes to his body. The book is a false and misleading book, and the subsequent teaching and discussion will result in [harm to students] . . .

There is no credible medical authority establishing the proposition that biological sex can be changed, or that “mind over matter” is controlling, in areas of identity. The former Chief Psychiatrist for Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Paul McHugh, wrote in a June 12, 2014 Wall Street Journal op-ed that "policy makers and the media are doing no favors either to the public or the transgendered" by not treating transgender "confusions ... as a mental disorder that deserves understanding, treatment and prevention." While students suffering from gender confusion should be treated with kindness and respect, schools should not by their policies or practices attempt to coerce other students and teachers into participating into what amounts to a harmful delusion.

In light of this authority, the District’s letter contains a number of false claims and assumptions to support its course of action. Among these, the letter states that the District is committed to supporting students from a “wide range of...genders” when there are but two genders, male and female. . . .

Among the letter’s false analogies and claims are the following: 1) children are arbitrarily “assigned” a gender at birth, as if the presence of male or female genitalia as the basis for “male” and “female” is an arbitrary decision imposed upon a person; 2) that simply because a child is “born male” but “insists” that child is a girl makes it so; 3) that because a girl likes short hair and likes a “boy” name, she is now a boy; and among the most egregious, 4) that it is possible to have a “girl brain and a boy body.” This claim is completely at odds with the rationale for equality between the sexes: there is no difference between male and female brains or mental abilities, and thus this idea fosters gender stereotypes.

At a minimum, the District’s “plan to support this student in living as ‘her’ authentic self” subjects students to propaganda having no basis in science or reality, to present gender confusion as “normal.” For the record, a mandatory requirement that other students call a boy “her” and “she” infringes upon the other students’ rights to tell the truth, in accordance with their religious convictions, and reality.

Finally, the letter leaves parents to wonder what exactly else is entailed within the “several steps” of the District’s “plan.” Typically, such plans allow gender-confused students to live “authentically” by entering and using the restrooms of the opposite sex. Is it now the policy of the District that the subjective feelings of a child who wishes or thinks he is the opposite sex trumps objective biological and anatomical reality? Is it now district policy that parents and students must accept the unproven belief that “gender identity” is more objectively “real” and more important than is objective biological and anatomical reality?

. . . Boys should leave a bathroom if a girl enters, and girls should leave a bathroom if a boy enters. Boys and girls should not be compelled to use facilities intended for private acts in the presence of those of the opposite sex. Boys have no right to use girls’ restrooms, and girls have no right to use boys’ restrooms. No one has a moral right to compel others to participate in a fiction (including compelling teachers and others to use pronouns that do not correspond to objective biological sex).

The District must cancel this event, and the District must set forth its “plan” so that parents are not subjected to additional surprises like the November 23 propaganda session. The District is not free to override parental rights and religious beliefs, by subjecting impressionable children to confusion about something as important as gender and sexuality. . . .

To read the entire letter from Liberty Counsel above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Transgenderism is a 'Delusion' According to Victims and Professionals

And yet:

New Obama Regulations Mandate Homeless Men Must Sleep with Women

Federal Government OKs Perverts in Employees' Restrooms Across America

And, Hillary Clinton Promises to Codify Even MORE 'Gay/Transgender Rights'

'Minion of Satan' Defied by Florida County Official

Representatives of every religion, and even atheists, have been allowed to give invocations at Lake County (Florida) Board meetings because, as Chairman Jimmy Conner explains, “It’s the law.  They opened without being disruptive, and we welcomed them.”  However, Conner says the Board is drawing the line at a self-described "minion of Satan."

For background, read Florida Battles Satanic 'Prayer' City-by-City

Also read Satanic Book Distribution in Florida Schools





-- From "Chaz Stevens: Man wants to give satanic invocation at Lake County, Florida, meeting" by The Associated Press 10/23/15

Chaz Stevens, a self-described atheist, tells local media that his request this week is part of his "Satan or Silence Project." His goal is to persuade elected officials to either drop prayers before meetings or allow him to lead a satanic prayer.

Commission Chairman Jimmy Conner says he will not allow the request.

In the past, Stevens has helped sway several cities to have a moment of silence before meetings instead of a prayer. He says he consider filing a lawsuit if Lake County denies his request.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "South Florida atheist blogger brings public prayer issue to Central Florida" posted at Sun Sentinel (Broward County, FL) 10/23/15

A South Florida atheist blogger whose actions have prompted Dania Beach and other cities to open civic meetings with a moment of silence instead of a prayer is now threatening to sue Lake County in Central Florida if officials pray during a commission meeting but don't allow him to give a satanic invocation.

Because of Stevens, Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs and Delray Beach have also switched to a moment of silence.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Man battling to recite Satanic prayer at commision meeting" by David Williams, WOFL-TV35 (Orlando, FL) 10/23/15

It began with an email Stevens sent to the Commission on Tuesday October 20, 2015, citing the U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing prayer at government meetings. In it, Stevens asks that he be allowed to “give a Satanic invocation” in Lake County. He claims his invocation would be “solemn and respectful in tone” and “invite lawmakers to reflect upon shared ideas and common ends."  FOX 35 asked Stevens why he wants to give a Satanic invocation.

"Satanism, that is the boogie man for Christianity, it’s about performance art, it’s the thing that was going to get the most attention, and I like the attention,” he explained. “The attention draws eyes to the cause. At least maybe I could get some people thinking that maybe this is not a good idea, 'Maybe I don't want to spend a couple hundred thousand taxpayer dollars money that could be spent feeding little kids.' Instead, they are going to fight a militant which is guaranteed me in the law by the Fourteenth Amendment."

If a legal battle erupts, Chairman Conner said, the group called The Liberty Council will represent the Commission on this issue, at no cost to Lake County taxpayers.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "'Minion of Satan' asks to give invocation in Lake" by Christal Hayes, Staff Writer, Orlando Sentinel 10/22/15

Atheist Chaz Stevens, 51, said his request this week is part of his "Satan or Silence Project" aimed at persuading elected officials to either drop prayers before meetings or allow him to lead a prayer and ask for blessings from the devil.

"At best, it [the invocation] is going to be solemn and right to the occasion, but it might very well raise the dead," he said Thursday. "I mean think about it. We're talking about Satan."

But commission Chairman Jimmy Conner said he has no plans to accept the "over-the-top" request.

"There won't be any satanic prayers while I'm chairman," Conner said. "The man isn't going to bully me. If he hates God, he can do that. But we're not going to spread devil worshipping in our chamber."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Man wants to give satanic invocation at Lake County meeting, threatens to sue if refused" posted at WFTV-TV9 (orlando, FL) 10/22/15

Conner is standing his ground, despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing volunteers to give an invocation, and laws prohibiting the government from choosing one religion over another.

"No thanks to all the liberal courts in this country, including the Supreme Court, who have no idea what the founding fathers intended for our country to be," said Conner.

"Are you willing to forego an invocation?" asked Channel 9 Janai Norman.

"No, absolutely not. I think it's time for this community to rally around the truth. The truth is the Lord. The trust is almighty God. It certainly isn't Satan," Conner said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.


From "Self-described 'minion of Satan' to give invocation next year at Lighthouse Point City Hall" by Anne Geggis, Sun Sentinel (Broward County, FL) 10/7/15

A year into Stevens' campaign, the Jupiter man recently got a date he can make: The city of Lighthouse Point has scheduled him to give an invocation at its July 12 meeting. Stevens figures some religious traditions are more welcome in front of city commissions than others, even though court rulings require they all be treated the same.

Lighthouse Point City Clerk Jennifer Oh said that Stevens was offered the first available date.

[Stevens is] waiting on his prayer opportunity in Boca Raton, Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Lake Worth and Pompano Beach, which he's requested with profanity-laced emails to various city officials.

For the city halls across South Florida in his crosshairs, though, Stevens is emblematic of "extremists" who shouldn't be tolerated, some officials say. "If we keep retreating, the next thing you know we'll be taking "In God We Trust' off our money," said Pompano Beach City Commissioner Ed Phillips.

"Our religion is constantly under attack," Phillips said. "He is trying to shut down how we open our meetings. We're saying, 'God give us strength and wisdom to do what is right.'"

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

KY Forbids Pastors Calling Homosexuality 'Sinful'

Attorneys for Pastor David Wells are demanding that the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) drop the religious test on volunteer counselors issued by the Warren County Regional Juvenile Detention Center that censors use of the Bible regarding sexual sin.  Wells was recently dismissed by the State because he refused to sign an agreement denouncing God's Word.

"Many juveniles are in DJJ custody because of sexual crimes.  Pastor Wells must be able to discuss what the Bible says about matters of sexuality with the juveniles he is trying to help. . . . DJJ 912 equates the teaching of biblical morality with ‘derogatory,’ ‘biased” and ‘hateful’ speech."
-- Mat Staver, chairman of Liberty Counsel (representing David Wells)

UPDATE 10/15/15: Obama Plans to Ban Evangelism to 'Homosexual Kids'

UPDATE 8/2/15: Christian Prayer Outrages California City Council

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Religious Liberty in Homosexualists' Crosshairs

Pastor Arrested in California for Reading Bible in Public

Jesus Talk Outlawed in New Orleans, Arrests Made

Houston Lesbian Mayor Subpoenas Pastors' Sermons

Idaho Pastors Face Fines, Jail for Refusing 'Gay Wedding'

Also read how state legislators, governors and judges are forbidding troubled youth from seeking Christian counseling.

And read how President Obama and his federal government agencies are elevating the Gay Agenda above religious liberty.

In addition, read Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists as well as Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty

-- From "State forbids pastors calling homosexuality 'sinful'" by Bob Unruh, World Net Daily 7/24/15

The policy states that DJJ staff, volunteers and others “shall not imply or tell LGBTQI juveniles that they are abnormal, deviant, sinful or that they can or should change their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Wells had volunteered more than 10 years at the facility under the prison ministry of Pleasant View Baptist Church in McQuady.

Liberty Counsel’s letter [to the DJJ] noted Wells was ordered to sign a form “promising to refrain from telling any juvenile inmates that homosexuality was ‘sinful.’”

The state demand “violates the First Amendment by prescribing an official state religious ‘orthodoxy:’ now, only a religious belief that homosexuality is not ‘sinful’ may be expressed in DJJ facilities.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Unconstitutional Restriction on Religious Speech - letter to Bob Hayter, Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice" by Liberty Counsel 7/23/15

Demand is hereby made that Mr. Wells and other volunteer ministers be immediately reinstated as volunteers at this facility, free from unconstitutional religious discrimination, Policy 912 notwithstanding,

.. [In the past, DJJ] children have asked Mr. Wells if there was any hope for them in this life, and in the life to come.  He has told them without exception that Christ can, and would, forgive them, if they would repent and believe the gospel.  This message has given them hope, and many have told him this personally and in written correspondence.  Despite these facts, Superintendent [Gene] Wade has told Mr. Wells, on the basis of Policy 912, that if a child now asks questions of him on issues involving sexual activity, he may not discuss the same with them: “You can give a scripture reference to the kids, and let them look it up, but you can’t read it in their hearing. You can’t say “sinful;” you can’t discuss sexual orientation – heterosexual or homosexual - period.”

. . . By restricting speech which volunteers are allowed to use while ministering to youth detainees, the State of Kentucky and the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice have violated the protections given to private speech through the First Amendment and the Kentucky Constitution.  Policy 912 requires affirmation of homosexuality as a condition of providing spiritual guidance to troubled youth, and singles out a particular theological viewpoint as expressly disfavored by the State of Kentucky. This the State cannot do.

To read the entire letter above above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Supreme Court Rules Bible as 'Hate Speech' in Canada

And read European Union High Court Rules Gay Agenda Trumps Christianity

Wisc. Prof. Threatens Student for her Christianity

Lawyers representing Rachel Langeberg are demanding an apology from sociology Professor Annette Kuhlman of the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County for threatening to fail Langeberg if she referenced Bible verses in a group presentation regarding sociological perspectives.

“ . . . we are living in a society that separates church and state; the University of Wisconsin is a secular institution.  Religious contemplations and the bible [sic] belong to a different realm and not academic sources.  So your argumentation along Christian lines . . . are inappropriate for this presentation.  I will not allow you to present unless you change this.  You will also fail your presentation if your [sic] discuss religion in connection with it.”
-- Professor Annette Kuhlman wrote to student Rachel Langeberg

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Florida Student Failed for Being Christian, Lawyer Says

Nevada Teacher Bans Student's Christianity, Lawyer Says

California School Bans Books by Christian Authors

'God Bless America' Banned from Florida School

Student Suspended for Jesus Talk Sues Washington School

Teacher Bans Free Time Bible Reading in Missouri

Florida University Professor Says Priests are Full of Crap

California Boots College Christian Clubs Across the State

Atheists Force Bible Bans at Colleges Across America

-- From "Student allegedly threatened with failing grade for including Biblical references in group presentation" by Gabriella Morrongiello, Reporter, Campus Reform 6/25/15

In a recent letter to administrators at the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County, the Liberty Counsel—a nonprofit, conservative litigation group—accused sociology Professor Annette Kuhlman of expressing “unconstitutional hostility toward religious belief” in her spring semester Crime and Criminal Justice course.

According to the Liberty Counsel, a draft of the group presentation sent to Professor Kuhlman included a section in which Langeberg used the Judeo-Christian theory of human nature—which asserts that humans are sinful both in practice and by nature—as one explanation for why individuals commit arson.

Langeberg subsequently chose to omit the religious references from her presentation to avoid failing the assignment and putting her group members’ grades at risk. . . .

According to the Counsel, Langeberg’s attempt to meet with school’s dean, Dr. Tracy White, and Kuhlman were unsuccessful, which led her to seek legal representation.

UW-Baraboo/Sauk County did not respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Unconstitutional censorship of student speech and discrimination on the basis of religion" letter by Liberty Counsel to Dean Tracy White, University of Wisconsin Baraboo - Sauk County 6/23/15

Ms. Langeberg felt that she had no choice but to comply [with Dr. Kuhlman's direction], because the grades of her two classmates also depended on the assignment, and she could not place their grades at risk.  Based on these threats from Professor Kuhlman, Ms. Langeberg changed the assignment, removing the material about competing worldviews and the causes of the crime of arson, which resulted in a presentation that deprived the class of the richness of diverse ideological perspectives. Indeed, a "theist perspective" on the causes of crime - "the heart...is desperately wicked," and that "from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying and slander" - is just as valid a position as various sociological perspectives. Ms. Langeberg's position that "juvenile arsonists commit crime because they are naturally inclined to do wrong" makes more sense than various theories that seek to absolve the arsonist of moral responsibility, whether due to "strain" on the individual, or "environmental factors" being the cause of crime," or that "lack of intelligence" causes crime.  Ms. Langeberg's conclusion accurately contrasts the two perspectives: the "secular humanist says additional research is needed as to why juvenile arson happens" in order to prevent it; while the "theist says juvenile arson happens because people are naturally inclined to violate laws or sin," and therefore, people need to be "taught the moral principles of the Bible to prevent arson."

It was highly inappropriate for Dr. Kuhlman to censor this team's work and perspective on the issue, in its original form, based on incorrect and discriminatory statements about the law and religious belief. The Constitution does not “require complete separation of church and state; it affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions, and forbids hostility toward any.” . . .

In the academic context of reports or presentations, when a student gives a report within the parameters of the assignment, a school is prohibited from restricting the report, or threatening a failing grade, solely because the content is religious. . . .

Liberty Counsel is deeply concerned by the facts of this situation. Your ratification of Dr. Kuhlman's conduct indicates that institutional discrimination on the basis of religion extends further than one professor. Dr. Kuhlman (and all University professors) must respect the rights of students, and cease from religiously discriminatory treatment of students providing academically responsive presentations, in accordance with course syllabi.

Demand is hereby made 1) that Dr. Kuhlman email a written apology to Ms. Langeberg's team for censoring their presentation based on her perception of and hostility toward religion; and 2) that Dr. Kuhlman email a written apology along with the original PowerPoint, to the rest of the class, stating that she made a mistake in the law, that academically-responsive assignments mentioning religion in a compare/contrast manner are appropriate, and that she hopes that they will review the team's original work to receive that team's original perspective.

If the University does not comply with this demand by Friday, July 3, 2015, Liberty Counsel will take further action to prevent irreparable harm to the rights of our client, who expressly reserves all rights.

Please be governed accordingly.

Sincerely,
Richard L. Mast, Jr., Esq
(Licensed in Virginia)

To read the entire letter above, CLICK HERE.

In addition, read endless examples of "higher education" hostility toward Christianity in curriculum, and regarding employment, and discrimination in student admissions.