Minnesota Poised To Ban Christians, Muslims, And Jews From Teaching In Public Schools
Minnesota will soon ban faithful Christians, Muslims, and Jews from teaching in public schools by requiring that every state-certified teacher "fosters an environment that ensures student identities such as & gender identity & are & affirmed." Once the new requirements clear a final procedural hurdle, they will be immediately challenged in state and possibly federal court, a civil liberties lawyer told The Federalist on Tuesday.
"We have lots of parents who are upset by this sort of thing in schools already," said Doug Seaton, president of Minnesota's Upper Midwest Law Center, in an interview. "They're going to be even more upset with how their teachers are going to be licensed. Their teachers are going to have to be faced with hiding their beliefs or getting denied [for a state teaching license]."
Seaton said it was accurate to describe the nearly finalized regulations as communicating: "Christians, Muslims, and Jews need not apply for Minnesota teaching jobs." That is unconstitutional, he said, so UMLC plans to sue once the changes go into effect.
The state agency that composed the changes disputed they would effectively ban religious Americans from teaching in Minnesota schools through a spokeswoman on Wednesday. The spokeswoman did not respond to a follow-up asking how Christians, Jews, and Muslims could adhere to their faith while complying with the licensing requirements that all new teachers publicly reject their faiths' declaration that God has created only two sexes, male and female.