A teacher at a Nashville elementary school claims she faced threats regarding her job after declining to read a book about same-sex marriage to her students.
Eric Rivera, who teaches first grade at KIPP Antioch Prep, found a book related to same-sex marriage on his language arts curriculum earlier this year, as reported by the First Liberty Institute, a legal organization. First Liberty believes that as a Christian, Rivera couldn’t, in good faith, share the book with his class. When it was time to read the book on January 6, Rivera asked a colleague to do it instead while she observed.
The following day, Rivera was summoned to the principal’s office and was reportedly threatened with termination. According to First Liberty, he received a “final warning” letter that accused him of not adhering to the curriculum “with fidelity” and warned him of potential disciplinary actions, including being fired. This letter was also noted to be placed in his personnel records.
Interestingly, First Liberty mentioned that Rivera had no prior disciplinary history and that he had made a request for religious accommodations. Instead, he was moved to a lab and technical position, and then switched to a kindergarten role.
On Tuesday, First Liberty sent a demand letter to Principal Britney Kennedy, arguing that KIPP Nashville Public Schools had violated Rivera’s rights under the First Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Rivera had communicated to Kennedy that she identified two books in the first-grade curriculum that contradicted her beliefs but said she could continue teaching if another teacher read those books.
However, the principal insisted that since the belief in same-sex marriage was central to the language arts unit, Rivera had to be removed from the classroom. First Liberty also expressed doubts over whether KIPP followed Tennessee regulations about notifying parents regarding materials related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
The two challenged books fall under Amazon’s “LGBTQ+ books” category and are included on the American Library Association’s Rainbow Book List or have received awards. According to First Liberty, both books should require parental notification under Tennessee law, which, to their knowledge, had not been given. They urged KIPP to reconsider its compliance with obligations to parents under both Tennessee and federal laws.
The request also urged the school to maintain records relevant to the curriculum and its enforcement, “in case of litigation.” Moreover, the letter demanded that KIPP remove the Final Warning letter from Rivera’s file, stop any discrimination based on religious beliefs, and accommodate religious employees who don’t wish to read content against their convictions.
Cliff Martin, a senior counsel at First Liberty, remarked on the situation, stating it was “outrageous” to give the impression that teachers would be terminated for their beliefs. He emphasized that teachers shouldn’t have to abandon their faith when they enter the classroom, nor should they be forced to endorse their employer’s views.
As of now, neither Principal Kennedy nor representatives from KIPP Antioch College Prep and the KIPP Nashville School Committee have responded to requests for comments.
