Nashville school pulls LGBT books after Christian teacher was disciplined for refusing to read one

A Nashville charter school has removed books featuring LGBT themes from its elementary school libraries months after a was disciplined for refusing to read one of the books to students, a decision the school later cleared from the teachers record.

The Tennessee Star reported Friday that, according to the First Liberty Institute — a nonprofit legal organization — the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) in Nashville has taken out books that promote same-sex marriage.

"We are thrilled that KIPP Nashville voluntarily removed books that could run afoul of parents rights under the Constitution and Tennessee law," Cliff Martin, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, said in a Thursday statement. 

"It is paramount that religious views be respected in schools," Martin said.

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The development comes months after First Liberty said it reached an agreement with KIPP Nashville to clear the record of Eric Rivera, who taught at Antioch College Prep Elementary School and was issued a "final warning letter" after declining to read a childrens book about same-sex parents to his first-grade class.

KIPP Nashville operates 10 high performing schools in Nashville for kindergarten-12th grade, including KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary School. 

In February, Rivera was denied religious accommodation for not reading a book that violated his sincerely held religious beliefs.

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After receiving a demand letter from First Liberty, the school said they would accommodate any reasonable religious requests.

First Liberty Institutes demand letter read, in part, "Mr. Riveras sincerely held religious beliefs are protected under the First Amendment. Thus, he was within his rights to request a reasonable accommodation. As employees, teachers have the right to opt out of curricula that they find religiously objectionable just as students do unless the opt out would cause an undue hardship."

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