A Bryan County woman filed a lawsuit this week after a school system reportedly terminated her for expressing her religious beliefs.
Lindsey Barr says the Bryan County school system ended a professional relationship with her as a substitute teacher because she requested that her own children be excused from a reading hour which included content in conflict with her religious beliefs.
The “All Are Welcome” reading program through the library supposedly included photos that contradicted the beliefs of Barr. According to FoxNews, which first reported on the lawsuit, Barr spoke with the principal of the school about her concerns. The school system notified her that her children would be excused from the reading hour, but not before she was locked out of the online system used to schedule substitute teachers in the county.
The lawsuit alleges that Principal Heather Tucker of McCallister Elementary School cited “biases” revealed as a result of the request by Barr which “raised a question whether she could support every child.”
Last month, the Alliance Defending Freedom sent Bryan County Schools a letter about the actions terminating Barr, stating that they violated Barr’s rights. According to the ADF website, the organization is a “world leader in defending religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, parental rights, and God’s design for marriage and family.” The letter requested that Barr be reinstated as a substitute teacher as soon as possible. The school system has not commented on the letter from ADF or the lawsuit filed in court.
In the FoxNews article, Barr was quoted saying, “The public schools have no business pushing radical ideologies on our students, especially the youngest of our students. They have no business doing that.”
Tyson Langhofer, ADF Director and Senior Counsel, similarly told FoxNews that “It’s pretty clear that public schools can’t fire teachers for expressing concern about their kids’ education…No parent should ever be fired as a teacher simply because they exercised their right as a parent.”
The lawsuit was officially filed against Principal Heather Tucker, Debi Wingate, the HR Director for Bryan County Schools, Dr. Paul Brooksher, the Superintendent of Bryan County Schools, and Dr. Trey Robertson, the Asssitant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning for Bryan County Schools.
A copy of the suit was not immediately available via court filings or ADF. TGV has, however, requested a copy.
