Teacher fired for refusing to read LGBT material to students
A teacher in California is suing her former employer. Nelli Parisenkova has filed a lawsuit after being fired from Bright Horizons Children’s Center in Studio City, California. Parisenkova says she was fired for refusing to read to the children about same-sex relationships and marriage. She said teaching the children this subject matter, who are ages five and under, would violate her religious beliefs and would be contrary to the teachings of her faith. Parisenkova says she asked her direct supervisor for an informal accommodation that would give her an exemption. The request was granted, but the director of the company later fired her, claiming she violated company policy. The director told Parisenkova that if she would not celebrate diversity and inclusion, she needed to find another place of employment. Parisenkova claims that once they received her religious exemption request, the company was determined to make her work environment hostile. She is being represented by the Thomas More Society. Attorneys for Ms. Parisenkova called the termination an outrageous example of religious discrimination and accused Bright Horizons of promoting the indoctrination of young children.
Parents in UK urge Church of England to drop pro-LGBT agenda
Two parents in the United Kingdom are asking the Church of England to change its pro-LGBT agenda. Parents Nigel and Sally Rowe sent an open letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, asking him to revise its Valuing God’s Children Policy. The policy allows children as young as five years old to be identified by the gender they wish to identify with. The Church of England has over 4,000 primary schools in the UK. The couple wrote the letter following an incident where they and their son were labeled transphobic because of the son's response to his friends at school, who asked to be referred to by opposite gender pronouns. The parents removed their child from the school following the incident, and after taking legal action were awarded more than $23,000, along with a promise from the government to reform these policies. They are now asking the Church of England to change its policy as well. Attorneys for the Christian Legal Centre in the UK called the Church of England’s pro- LGBT policies in school harmful.
Student barred from degree and professional practice after “controversial” commencement speech
A student in Mexico has won his complaint against his alma mater. Christian Cortez Perez was denied his degree and a license to practice psychology from the Autonomous University of Baja California in Mexico following his graduation in June. Perez was denied his accreditations because his graduation speech angered school staff and some students. Perez, who is a Christian, voiced his opinion about current issues during his valedictory speech. In his speech, he noted that human beings are trying to redefine what a human is through methods that undermine dignity and freedom. The complainers protested vocally and walked out, calling Perez’s address hate speech, but he continued and delivered his graduation address in full. They later published articles demanding Perez be denied his professional license to practice psychology. Perez was represented by Alliance Defending Freedom International in this case. Following a formal complaint made through his attorneys, the student was awarded his degree and the right to practice in Mexico. Perez says he is overjoyed by the decision and his comments during commencement were an exercise in free speech. Attorneys for Perez echoed his sentiments, calling free speech fundamental for intellectual life both in and beyond school.
SNBC HEALTH Report: the importance of increasing your daily step count
Walking every day is one of the best ways to get exercise and receive health benefits. Researchers recently released a study of 6,000 middle-aged and older adults and found health benefits according to the number of steps taken per day. Adults who took at least 8,000-9,000 steps daily were found to have a lower risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and other issues. The study revealed that the more steps taken per day, the more it assists the body in fighting health issues. Dr. Chip Lavie, medical director of cardiac rehabilitation and prevention at John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans says fitness is one of the strongest protectors against most health problems. The study was published in Nature Medicine this month and followed adults ages 41-67. The subjects of this study monitored their steps by using a fitness tracker and ate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Researchers advise not to be fixated on the number of steps, but to note that the more steps you take each day, the more beneficial it is to the body.