A teacher is suing a Susquehanna Township, Pennsylvania, conservative Christian school for allowing her contract to lapse after the school expelled one of her sons for being gay and then pressured her (unsuccessfully) to force the son to “renounce his sin.”
Sharon Wright contends that hostile school officials at Covenant Christian Academy caused her to suffer a stress-related disability and then failed to accommodate that disability, which she contends is a violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to The Patriot-News, the school responds that Constitutional religious-freedom provisions entitle it to discriminate against faculty and students on the basis of religious belief. School officials opted not to renew Wright’s contract, they say, when Wright objected in writing to the school’s antigay doctrine.
Hat tip: ThinkProgress
Addendum:
The school receives state tax dollars via two scholarship funds for families: the South Central Educational Partnership and the Classical School Fund of Pennsylvania. According to the school, Pennsylvania law “allows businesses to donate state tax money to a qualified fund (like the SCEP and the CSF) and receive a 90% credit in lieu of paying state taxes.”
There are plenty of battles we should be fighting; this is not one of them. Perhaps this teacher should reconsider her associations. Lie down with dogs and wake up with fleas.
It is so sad when so many people who call themselves Christian do not in any way represent what Jesus said about being his followers…who later began to go by the name “Christian” He said by your love for one another that people would know that they were his disciples. Also on another note, not once did Jesus tell someone to tell their family member to renounce “their sin” in fact when Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” I don’t see that they said everyone in your family but…
I like your Christ, your Christians not so much. They are very unlike your Christ.–Mohandas Gandhi
Anything that proclaims itself Christian usually is anything but.
It’s pretty sad that today’s expression of Christianity has nothing to do with what Christ ever taught.
Ms. Wright allegedly “openly opposed the school’s doctrine on same-sex relations.” For that, I acknowledge the private religious school’s right to terminate her employment. It’s a shame, but as James says, she chose the fleas. I wish only the best for her and her family.
Unless the school recieves public funding, the law’s on its side, as it should be.
At just over $11,000 per year per student, I sure hope they’re not taking tax dollars.
The school receives diverted state tax dollars via the South Central Educational Partnership and the Classical School Fund of Pennsylvania:
http://classicalschoolfundofpa.com/
Pennsylvania law “allows businesses to donate state tax money to a qualified fund (like the SCEP and the CSF) and receive a 90% credit in lieu of paying state taxes.”
http://covenantchristianacademy.us/266904.ihtml
Does this mean that the school receives funding or does the money go directly towards student tuition? Do we know what percentage of students receive scholarship?
Sic Americans United on them.
Some states launder tax dollars for religious schools through scholarship funds. Schools promote the fund, families apply to the fund, and private donations to the fund are reimbursed to donors in the form of tax breaks. So tax money that would have paid down public debt and funded public services is instead diverted to religious schools that may not adhere to federal guidelines for equal opportunity and nondiscrimination.
Arizona has such a program. For more information about that:
Annenberg Institute
CNN: Tax credits for religious school scholarships ruled constitutional
New York Times: Public Money Finds Back Door to Private Schools
If you think that anyone should be able to open a school and call it “private” and thus be exempt from any kind of laws and standards, you’re mind-boggling stupid and short-sighted. Standards and laws exist for a reason. You can’t exempt people from common sense rules just because they finance themselves or claim to be religious.
I would like to be a judge on a case like this…. You claim your religion requires you to act this way, OK let’s peek JN der the hood of the bible and see the hundreds of things you should be doing and not doing, but are not….
Does this teacher have a case, since this ‘Christian’ school actually DOES get tax money? Boy I sure hope so!