A devout Christian teacher has won the right to follow his religious convictions after a legal confrontation with the school where he teaches in Nashville, TN.
First Grade Teacher Eric Rivera had been banished from his classroom at KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary School after he had asked for a religious accommodation from reading same-sex marriage books to the young children in his class.
Rivera was reassigned and faced losing his job after asking another teacher to substitute for him during that period.
First Liberty Institute took on his case, saying the school can’t force him to forfeit his religious beliefs and endorse its pro-LGBT messaging.
“Requiring a teacher to violate their religious beliefs in order to keep their job is blatant discrimination that violates the Civil Rights Act,” Senior Counsel Cliff Martin had said. “Our client cares deeply about his students and simply has a religious objection to teaching certain lessons and asked for a simple religious accommodation.”
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First Liberty sent a warning letter to the school, arguing, “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 established that it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against any individual with respect to religion and also requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious practices unless doing so would impose an ‘undue hardship’ on the conduct of the employer’s business.”
The non-profit legal group says the school has backed down, agreeing to clear Rivera’s record. In addition, First Liberty reports the school also agreed to “permit all teachers to ask another employee to read materials objectionable to their faith.”
“We are pleased that the school has made the right decision by accommodating Mr. Rivera for his deeply held religious views,” said Martin. “Our client is deeply devoted to teaching and is grateful that his record has been cleared and reasonable accommodations will be provided going forward.”
