Tuesday, October 30, 2007

5th Circuit upholds parental rights victory for Texas teacher

Posted at theAlliance Defense Fund.

Teacher represented by ADF ally denied promotion after declining
to move her children from private religious school to public school


NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has again upheld a district court’s decision in favor of a Texas public school teacher.

Tuesday, the court affirmed a jury verdict which found a school superintendent violated Karen Jo Barrow’s constitutional rights when Barrow was denied a position as vice principal after refusing to transfer her own children from a private, religious school to a public school. The Alliance Defense Fund provided funding to Liberty Legal Institute, which represents the teacher.

“Parental rights do not become null and void just because the parent is a teacher. The decision of whether or not to consider an employee for a job should never be based on where the applicant chooses to educate her own children. Neither the state nor any school official has the right to dictate how an employee’s child should be raised,” said ADF-allied attorney Kelly Shackelford, president of Liberty Legal Institute.

Who better than a teacher to know that they would rather not send their children to government school?

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