Officials at the KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary School in Nashville have backed down after penalizing a Christian teacher for refusing to read a homosexual “marriage” book to elementary school children.
Eric Rivera, represented by First Liberty Institute, did not want to promote what the Bible calls a sin. He switched classes with another teacher on the day the book was to be read.
But school officials had a problem with Rivera’s free exercise of religion. They reassigned him and threatened to fire him. First Liberty Institute, his legal counsel, wrote a letter demanding that they stop violating his rights.
The bureaucrats had second thoughts about arguing in court that it was proper to penalize an employee because of his religious beliefs. First Liberty announced that the school will clear Rivera’s record and allow teachers to ask another teacher to switch lessons — without punishment.
“We are pleased that the school has made the right decision by accommodating Mr. Rivera for his deeply held religious views,” said Cliff Martin, senior counsel at First Liberty. “Our client is deeply devoted to teaching and is grateful that his record has been cleared and reasonable accommodations will be provided going forward.”
