(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) An ultra-woke school board conceded the errors of its leftist ways and settled a religious discrimination case after earlier this year terminating a contract with Arizona Christian University.
The Washington Elementary School District, led by a self-identifying “neurodivergent Queer Black Latina” who wears cat ears, agreed earlier this month to reinstate ACU’s long-running teaching contract after two months ago voting to cancel it because the university held Christian beliefs.
School board member Tamillia Valenzuela, the “dope ass human, neurodivergent Queer Black Latina,” said during a March meeting that she “full-heartedly” believed in religious freedom,” but was alarmed by the university’s website that stated “above all else, be committed to Jesus Christ, accomplishing His will and advancing His kingdom on earth as in heaven.”
NEW—Arizona school board member Tamillia Valenzuela, while wearing cat ears, says her district should reject hiring teachers with Christian values.
Valenzuela describes herself as "a bilingual, disabled, neurodivergent Queer Black Latina" pic.twitter.com/xo307B2snI
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 3, 2023
Continuing it partnership with ACU would adversely impact the district’s LGBT community and send the wrong message to students, Valenzuela argued.
The board agreed and killed the contract, which was entering its eleventh year, prompting ACU to partner with Alliance Defending Freedom and file a religious discrimination lawsuit.
In the settlement, the school district agreed to restore its contract with ACU and to pay $25,000 in attorneys’ fees.
The new contract reached under the settlement came with added benefit, allowing for “an additional five years, to be renewed annually, instead of being the final year of the previous 5-year agreement,” the university said in a statement.
“This is a complete vindication of the rights of our students to be able to participate as student-teachers in a public school district without fear of religious discrimination,” said ACU President Len Munsil. “We obtained everything we wanted in this new agreement, without any sacrifice or compromise to our beliefs and our university’s religious purpose.”
The school district’s governing board president, Nikkie Gomez-Whaley, said the district was ready to move forward “to continuing the work of creating welcoming and accessible education spaces that meet the needs of our students, staff and community.”
ADF senior counsel David Cortman said the settlement was a win not only for ACU, but also for students.
“At a time when a critical shortage of qualified, caring teachers exists, the Washington Elementary School District board did the right thing by prioritizing the needs of elementary school children and agreeing to partner once again with ACU’s student-teachers,” Cortman said.
