Tag Archives: education

By a vote of 35-28 the Texas A&M student government yesterday approved a rule that will allow students to opt out of funding the university’s LGBT Resource Center on the grounds of religious objections. John Wright reports at Dallas Voice: Less than 24 hours before the vote, the name of the bill was changed from the “GLBT Funding Opt Out …

Photo by John Aravosis.

American Independent has discovered that the publication of a widely-disputed gay parenting study (known as the Regnerus Study), was purposely timed to influence “major decisions of the Supreme Court.”   The documents, recently obtained through public-records requests by The American Independent and published in collaboration with The Huffington Post, show that the Witherspoon Institute recruited a professor from a major university …

Out Magazine reports that a fraternity at Boston’s Emerson College is raising money to help a new member pay for his gender reassignment surgery. Much like the world of professional sports, the world of campus Greek life is not often heralded as the epitome of acceptance. Locker room antics are an insidious fact of the frat house. No doubt about …

Indiana teacher Diane Medley, who made national news last week for objecting to gay students bringing dates to the prom, has been suspended by her school district. Superintendent Mark Baker of the Northeast School Corp. in western Indiana’s Sullivan County issued a statement saying the teacher has been placed on administrative leave out of concern “for the safety and security …

Back in December, West Point cadet Blake Page resigned, saying he could no longer stomach the incessant proselytizing by Christian commanders.  Now the Army wants Page to pay them as much as $250,000 in tuition reimbursements. The notification this week that he would be hit up for the fees blindsided Blake Page, 24, who says that top leadership at West …

Since the courts always take a dim view of public schools officially sanctioning prayers and other religious activities, Christianists around the nation have been working to crowbar their way in via student-led prayers. And it looks like they’ve succeeded in Mississippi, the state that only officially outlawed slavery last week. Supporters say bills to guarantee religious freedom in Mississippi public …

The Virginia Senate Education Committee has narrowly rejected a bill that would allow home-schooled students to play sports at public schools.  The proposed change was dubbed the “Tim Tebow Bill” because he was allowed to play football at a Florida public school while being taught at home. The perennial proposal from Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle County, would achieve that by …

Texas GOP state Rep. James White has introduced a bill that would allow public schools to offer an elective course on the use of firearms. HB 1142 would include training in the use of firearms including rifles, shotguns, pistols and revolvers. “Education, foremost, as stated in our Constitution, is about teaching our people their rights and responsibilities as a free …

“On Monday, February 4, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati gave me an ultimatum after I expressed my personal opinion in support of freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples. I was asked to resign as assistant principal at Purcell Marian High School, or keep my job until June by signing documents recanting my statements. I was given this ultimatum after …

“I believe that it was life circumstances and they chose to be that way; God created everyone equal. Homosexual students come to me with their problems, and I don’t agree with them, but I care about them. It’s the same thing with my special needs kids, I think God puts everyone in our lives for a reason. So the same …

Several members of the Lake County, Florida school board have proposed banning all extracurricular clubs in order to prevent students from forming a Gay-Straight Alliance. School Board members Bill Mathias, Debbie Stivender and Chairwoman Kyleen Fischer spoke in favor of a rule that would ban extra-curricular clubs in secondary schools while fellow board members Tod Howard and Rosanne Brandeburg favored …

Idaho GOP state Sen. John Goedde has introduced a bill that requires high school students to read Ayn Rand’s libertarian opus, Atlas Shrugs.  You don’t graduate if you can’t pass a test on the book. The 1957 novel has been embraced by libertarians and the tea party movement, in part for its opposition to “statism” and embrace of capitalism, as …

The Alabama teacher who was recorded telling students that “queers are an abomination against God” has been suspended.  He was also taped making nasty comments about the appearance of Michelle Obama. Bob Grisham, who is also a psychology and driver’s education teacher, was suspended for 10 days without pay. The Lauderdale County School Board met at 4 p.m. Monday to …

(Via JMG reader Todd)

A teacher is being investigated in northern Alabama after a student recorded him making slurs against gay people and Michelle Obama. School district officials are investigating allegations that a Lauderdale County High School teacher made slurs in the presence of students regarding first lady Michelle Obama and gays. Superintendent Jennifer Gray confirmed the investigation concerns the school’s head football coach, …

You may recall GOP Tennessee state Rep. Stacey Campfield’s continuing attempt to ban any mention of homosexuality or LGBT people in public schools.  Campfield has reintroduced his bill in the new legislative session, this time with the command that schools notify parents if their child is deemed to be “at risk” of having the gay.  Think Progress has some excerpts …

Tomorrow night PBS will air The Revisionaries, which examines the Texas Board Of Education and its campaign to insert Christianist dogma into public school textbooks. RELATED: Visit the PBS blog Independent Lens for “ten interesting lessons from creationist textbooks.“ They link the below clip as an “in a nutshell” recounting of what’s already being taught in some schools.