As I did yesterday, today’s blacklisting column will cover a number of individual stories, this time focusing on the blacklisting of teachers who oppose indoctrinating very young children to the queer agenda. I am reporting more than one story in order to make sure these stories do not fall by the wayside. The harm done to the individuals does not go away, even if the news cycle considers their story stale.

Screen capture from Bright Horizons’ own webpage.
Very clearly, Bright Horizons is determined to teach
Critical Race Theory and the queer agenda to toddlers.

First we have California teacher Nelli Parisenkova, who was fired from her job with the nationwide childcare company Bright Horizons because she for religious reasons refused to read books promoting the queer agenda to 1 to 5-year-old toddlers.

What makes this story especially egregious is the vindictive manner in which Parisenkova was treated. From the lawsuit [pdf]:

The childcare room at Bright Horizons where Ms. Parisenkova works has children’s books on the shelf that promote and celebrate same-sex relationships and marriage. When Ms. Parisenkova first started working for Bright Horizons, her supervisor at the time provided her with an informal accommodation that she would not be required to read books to the children promoting same-sex marriage. However, on or around April 7, 2022, Katy Callas, the director of the location where Ms. Parisenkova worked, discovered Ms. Parisenkova’s religious beliefs in this regard. Ms. Callas, who is lesbian, apparently took personal offense at Ms. Parisenkova’s religious beliefs.

Ms. Callas called Ms. Parisenkova into her office, questioned her in an irate manner, told her that if she did not want to celebrate diversity this was not the place for her to work, gave her an administrative leave memo, escorted her outside with a security guard, and left her out in the 96-degree heat with no transportation. As a result, Ms. Parisenkova was forced to walk 20 minutes in the heat and wait 45 minutes for transportation. She suffered heat exhaustion and the physical effects of heat exhaustion for the next two days. She was afraid to return to work.

Ms. Parisenkova formally requested a religious accommodation from Bright Horizons that aligned with her prior informally granted request. Bright Horizons responded by categorically denying the request. Bright Horizons did not engage in any negotiations and made no attempt whatsoever to determine whether a reasonable accommodation could be reached. Instead, Bright Horizons issued a counseling memo with false statements, terminated her life-insurance benefits, required her to complete retraining in diversity issues, and encouraged her to resign her position. Ms. Parisenkova could not return to work without an accommodation; so, Bright Horizons terminated her employment.

Since then Parisenkova has been trying to get similar work, but has been essentially blacklisted. From her complaint:

Many other preschool employers will also require Ms. Parisenkova to promote same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting, which makes it very difficult to find alternate employment in the same field.

Parisenkova is now suing Bright Horizon and Kathy Callas, the Thomas More Society acting as her legal representatives, claiming numerous violations of many civil rights laws.

Next we have Georgia substitute teacher Lindsey Barr, who was fired by McAllister Elementary School and Bryan County Schools because she had simply expressed reservations — based on her religious beliefs — about the reading of a same-sex book during a library read-aloud session (a session that two of Barr’s children were attending). From her lawsuit [pdf]:

Lindsey explained [to McAllister principal, Defendant Heather Tucker] that the book’s illustrations conflict with the values she seeks to impart to her two children who attend McAllister, and she asked that they be excused from the presentation. Within hours after presenting those views and making that request, Lindsey was locked out of the system she had used to obtain substitute assignments. Days later, Defendant Tucker told Lindsey that, although her children would be excused from the read aloud program, Tucker was firing Lindsey because she had expressed her views.

Defendants’ firing of Lindsey for speaking on a matter of public concern violated Lindsey’s clearly established rights of free speech and free exercise of religion protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Nor did the blacklisting end with Tucker. The officials running Bryan County Schools (BCS) immediately endorsed Lindsey’s firing from McAllister Elementary School and expanded the blackballing to include the entire county.

Defendant Debi McNeal, BCS Director of Human Resources, extended Lindsey’s termination to all Bryan County schools. Lindsey’s firing was ratified by BCS Superintendent, Defendant Paul Brooksher, and BCS Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Defendant Trey Robertson. All four Defendants are liable for violating Lindsey’s clearly established constitutional rights.

Her lawsuit, which is being handled by the Alliance Defending Freedom, correctly points out that Barr’s issue with the library’s read-aloud program had nothing to do with her responsibilities as a teacher. Nor did she act to interfere with the program or any other activity at the school. All she did was express her opinion about the program and request that her children not attend.

For this, the school fired her. As Barr herself wrote in an email to Tucker about this situation:

Your children now belong to the state.

I’m not trying to make waves with anyone. I’m trying to protect my children. This is an agenda. This is not ok. If I couldn’t post bible verses in my newsletters or read scripture to my classes or cover my students aloud in prayer, this shouldn’t be allowed either. It isn’t equity and diversity. It’s propaganda.

No matter. You are not allowed to have such opinions in the public schools. Religion is banned, but queer politics must be celebrated.

As the lawsuit correctly notes, Barr’s firing was a clear violation of her first amendment rights as well as a number of civil rights laws. It calls for her reinstatement as a substitute teacher as well as damages.

The lawsuit also notes that Barr was not the only parent objecting to the introduction of the queer agenda in the schools. All to no avail. Apparently the school decided the concerns of these parents were irrelevant, and that the schools knew best.

In the future, I strongly suggest every parent send to the schools at the start of every school year the “Parental Consent Letter,” written by the Alliance Defending Freedom.

Once sent to a school principal or administrator, the AFL Parental Consent Letter—a tool parents can use on their own without the aid of legal counsel—triggers legal protections for parents and puts administrators and teachers on notice that violating parents’ federal and state law rights through woke indoctrination of children will have direct consequences for those involved. It expressly opts out children from “social emotional learning,” Critical Race Theory (CRT) infused lessons, and surveys or information collections on such things as “preferred pronouns,” political attitudes, and religious beliefs without prior written parental consent. It also makes clear that a school may not hide from a parent, for example, his or her child’s “gender identity transition,” referral to a third party mental health counselor or abortion provider, or illegal drug use.

The letter itself can be downloaded here [pdf]. However, I think it is puts so much power back into the hands of any parent who uses it, I repost the template in its entirety below in order to make its use as easy as possible.

Use it. Make demands. Don’t let these jack-booted thugs win.

——————
[DATE]

[NAME]
[TITLE]
[ADDRESS]

Dear [School Official]:

I write in my capacity as the [parent/[legal guardian] of [insert child’s full name], who is a student in the [grade level] grade at [insert name of school]. In the exercise of my rights under the United States Constitution and federal law, including the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, as well as State constitutional, statutory, and regulatory rights, please be on notice that:

1. I hereby demand prompt access and a reasonable time to review the following: (a) all instructional materials used as part of my child’s [specify grade or subject] educational curriculum; (b) all teacher’s manuals; and (c) all teacher training lectures and materials, tapes, power point programs, or similar supplementary material, viewed or used by or given to my child’s teacher between January 1, 2022, and the present. Please let me know within five (5) business days when and where these materials will be made available to me for my review.

2. I demand reasonable prior notice of, the right to inspect, and a meaningful opportunity to either consent or opt out of any formal or informal survey or other information collection containing or regarding one or more of the following items: (a) political affiliations or beliefs of my child or my family; (b) mental or psychological problems of my child or our family; (c) sex behavior or attitudes (e.g. preferred pronouns and/or “gender identity”); (d) illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior (e.g., “white privilege” and/or “systemic racism”); (e) critical appraisals of other individuals with whom my child has close family relationships; (f) legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers; (g) religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of my child or our family; and (h) income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program). Moreover, please be advised that absent my specific and express written consent to a specific survey or information collection, this letter serves as written notice that I do not consent to you administering and/or sharing any such survey or information collection with my child, and under no circumstances shall my child be asked or required to submit to any such survey or information request, whether formal or informal, from a teacher, administrator, counselor, or any third party.

3. This shall also serve to make clear that without my prior written consent, under no circumstances shall my child be required or allowed to be subject to physical, psychiatric, or psychological examination, testing, or treatment as defined at 34 CFR § 98.4(c).

4. This shall additionally serve to make clear that without my prior written consent, under no circumstances shall my child be subjected to the planned, systematic use of methods or techniques that are not directly related to academic instruction and that are designed to affect my child’s behavioral, emotional, or attitudinal characteristics. Such methods and techniques include, by way of example only, “social emotional learning” or “SEL”, “anti-racist” pedagogy, and “Critical Race Theory” or “CRT” related methods, techniques, and/or curriculum.

5. Without my prior written consent, under no circumstances shall my child be referred or provided access to any third-party “mental health” counselor or abortion provider.

6. Under no circumstances may you conceal from me any of the following with respect to my child: (a) illegal drug use: (b) pregnancy; (c) sexual or other physical assault; (d) matters related to gender identity and gender dysphoria (e.g., transgender claims, changed pronouns); (f) body dysphoria including but not limited to anorexia or bulimia; (h) prescription drug abuse.

Please be advised that I am prepared to pursue all potential actions, remedies, statutory, regulatory, and in tort, in the event the [school or district] fails to comply with this letter or otherwise does not respect my legal rights regarding my child.

I look forward to your prompt confirmation of receipt and your full compliance with the terms of this letter.

Sincerely,
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