Christian teacher, sacked over her objection to an utterly inoffensive kid’s book, is awarded $181,000

ALL Are Welcome is an innocuous New York Times bestselling picture book about a school where diversity and inclusion are celebrated.

But diversity and inclusion are alien concepts to Lindsey Barr, above. In her hateful world all are assuredly unwelcome!

After expressing concern over some the images in the book, claiming they depicted same-sex couples, she lost her job as a substitute teacher at McAllister Elementary School in Georgia.

So, with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, the go-to outfit representing “persecuted ” Christians, Barr sued Bryan County Schools, and hit paydirt this week when she was awarded $181,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees.

She was also reinstated.

ADF is quoted as saying in this Fox News report:

Lindsey spoke out as a Christian, a mother, and a private citizen on an important issue—namely, the content and age-appropriateness of a picture book that the school planned to read to her kids and other elementary-aged children that conflicted with her family’s values and faith.

ADF Senior Counsel Philip A Sechler said in a statement.

Yet school officials immediately retaliated against her for expressing those views and fired her from a job at which she excelled.

As part of the settlement agreement, the Superintendent of Bryan County Schools was forced to issue a grovelling apology to Barr. It reads

Upon returning, we encourage you as a parent to raise concerns about material being taught to your children. Raising such concerns does not preclude employment in our district.

For the future, we are focused on the value you add for children across the district as a substitute teacher. We sincerely regret that your separation from the school district caused any distress.

Take a close look at the contents of All Are Welcome, and if you can find anything in it “promoting” LGBT+ “lifestyles” you must have a seriously warped mind.

Bryan County Schools described the outcome as a business decision made by its insurance company, clarifying that none of the money used to settle the lawsuit came from the school district.

Image via YouTube

ADF Senior Counsel and director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, Tyson Langhofer, called out the school district for creating:

An atmosphere of fear and sends a message to the teacher and others in the community that, if they criticize the school’s approach to cultural or political issues or express viewpoints contrary to the school’s preferred viewpoints, they will face consequences.

That’s unlawful and why we had to file suit in Lindsey’s situation,” he added. “The settlement the school district agreed to is a victory for Lindsey, the families of Bryan County Schools, and every parent’s fundamental right to speak out concerning their children.

War on All Are Welcome in Pennsylvania

Last year Sunset Valley Elementary School came under fire when a Norwin School Board member objected to the book, claiming it “celebrated sexuality” as well as “hyper racial diversification”, whatever that means.

Alex Detschelt added that rainbow-colored drawings “could” symbolise gay and lesbian pride.

Detschelt, a conservative Republican said he was:

A little shocked that we’re forcing this grooming type of garbage onto our kids.

Although Detschelt said he is “all for diversity,” he claims the book pushes “hyper ethnic and hyper racial diversification” that points out differences in people, leading to divisiveness, “which is exactly what you are trying to prevent.”

The book’s fold-out pages depicted 13 heterosexual couples, two single mothers and two same-sex couples, a blind child and one in a wheelchair,

Don’t be surprised if Barr’s victory paves the way for further challenges to innocent school material by money-grubbing religious zealots.

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If you spot any typos in this report, please alert me via email: freethinkered@aol

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7 responses to “Christian teacher, sacked over her objection to an utterly inoffensive kid’s book, is awarded $181,000”

  1. Christian fascists complaining about “grooming” of children?

    I’m speechless.

    And as for an “atmosphere of fear”, words also fail me!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I thought it was Christstains who groomed children with their death cult nonsense?

      Liked by 1 person

  2. “if you can find anything in it “promoting” LGBT+ “lifestyles” you must have a seriously warped mind.” You got it. That is exactly what these Christian bigots have got. Their warped minds are wrapped in self importance and self righteousness. They make teachers’ lives impossible.

    Liked by 3 people

  3. I want to sue the CofE and government for contaminating the minds of my children and grandchildren in primary schools, any lawyers out there willing to take on a class action on a no-win-no-fee basis?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It would take me less than two minutes to find the first Bible verse totally inappropriate to children, though one could argue, as I’m sure you’re implying, that the whole idea of an avenging god who looks after and rewards those who cravenly kowtow to him, and unquestioningly toe the party line, is mentally injurious, especially to the vulnerable!

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Mea culpa, I’m one of those you want to sue. I spent about ten years of my retirement going into our local CofE primary school, representing the church, taking services and some RE classes and advertising our Sunday School. Towards the end – c2013 – I noticed that whereas previously, maybe 3 or 4 pupils would be opted out of x-tian teaching and these were always the children of the village indian and chinese takeaways, now a bunch more were legally absented. I’m guessing cos savvy parents didn’t want this indoctrination and felt able to say so. I’d done a course on a particular way of teaching the bible to 5-7yos and took my first session around then. We sat in a circle, as directed by the script, and I got out my cutsie toy sheep for the story of the one that got lost. I’d barely started when a 5yo interrupted me ‘but I don’t believe in the bible..’ and she continued to interject this comment several times during my story……by then, I was getting close to deconversion and was thinking I agreed with her. The diocese never asked me why I hadn’t contined with these sessions – they’d paid £350 for me to train in them! I hope the number of those opting out of all forms of x-tian indoctrination will have increased, I’m guessing that’s so, I can’t imagine it will have decreased.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. My wife and I did not opt our daughters out of RE persecution at their primary school (with just 70 kids) as it would have created problems for them and the school, the head teacher was made aware of our views; however, as soon as in secondary school THEY opted out of all religious indoctrination.

        Liked by 1 person

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