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And she punishes those who wear them in her classroom.
A lesbian high school teacher is forbidding students from wearing crosses as jewelry in her classroom---and is punishing those who do.
Matt Staver and his Christian Liberty Counsel law firm have contacted the school.
Heads up parents and grandparents.
Liberty Counsel has sent a letter to Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, FL., stating that they represent "the parents of children in the classroom of teacher Jane Riedas, a math teacher at Riverview High School, who reports that MS. Riedas has prohibited at least three children from wearing Christian cross necklaces in her classroom, claiming on occasion that they are 'gang symbols'."
The letter also says:
Subsequent to her cross ban, Ms. Riedas singled out at least one of the students for a number of false “misbehavior” allegations [the student was wearing a cross].
Our clients report that Ms. Riedas will frequently tell students who draw her ire to “get out of my class” with no reason given, as well as engage in collective punishment (“if one person doesn’t turn in homework, you all get zeroes”).
Our clients report another student was told to “get out of my class” simply for wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat while working on an assignment, and otherwise being nondisruptive. She had not told him previously to remove the hat, and the only thing she said about it was “get out of my class.”April 19, 2017
“She said I need you to take your necklace off.” Our client asked “Why?” and Ms. Riedas refused to explain, stating, “That’s disrespectful; you have to take it off.” Our client did not want to be disrespectful, so she took it off, but she felt bad because she felt she was being forced to deny her faith. All of our clients are afraid to openly wear their cross necklaces in class anymore.
Ms. Riedas has further engaged in impermissible LGBT political activism in the classroom, and has indicated her intent to further do so during instructional time. Ms. Riedasis is planning to promote GLSEN’s “Day of Silence” coercive political activities during instructional time in her classroom on Friday, April 21, 2017.
In addition to being opposed to student religious expression, we understand that Ms.Riedas is the sponsor for the R.G.S.A Gay-Straight Alliance (“GSA”) at Riverview High School, and that her classroom is permanently decorated with LGBT political themes, including a large display on her wall stating “ALLY,” a “Safe Space” poster and door sticker, and assorted other LGBT promotional material, including buttons prominently displayed on her desk, facing students, stating “I Love My LGBT Students” and “PROUD Public Employee.”These buttons make other students feel marginalized and excluded, and not full members ofthe classroom community.
Moreover, at the beginning of the semester, Ms. Riedas placed LGBT rainbow stickers on students’ classroom folders without their consent, which were there one day when the students arrived. One of our clients reports that after she removed the LGBT sticker, Ms. Riedas’ behavior toward her changed markedly for the worse. Ms. Riedas’ clearly seeks opportunities to engage in GLSEN-directed classroom activism, which has called on teachers to use its “Educator Guide” to promote GLSEN’s views about homosexuality and gender confusion on “Day of Silence,” and to do so this Friday, April 21, 2017.
The Tampa Bay news media picked up on the story and is quoting a spokesperson for the school district saying, "The principal says she has not received a complaint from any student or parent regarding any claims made in the Liberty Counsel document regarding this teacher."
Staver's allegations go further than cross jewelry, however, since Riedas is an open lesbian and advocates homosexual activism in her classroom.
Staver and Liberty Counsel claim that the teacher's lesbian partner (pictured below) also teaches at Riverview High and once wore a cross made of skulls and dressed as a nun – an obvious, blatant attempt to mock Christianity.
"What we have here are two lesbians that are promoting and indoctrinating the LGBT agenda in the classroom to their students," Staver says, "Punishing those that don't agree and targeting Christians because they won't accept her radical lesbianism."
Despite the school's denial of complaints, the spokeswoman said the allegations are being investigated.
I spoke with Liberty Counsel yesterday. They told me they heard that the teacher, Ms. Riedas, didn't show up in her classroom on Friday---the "Day of Silence." Liberty was looking into that yesterday.
They are also gathering more evidence. Liberty told me the school's claim that they had not received any complaints from students or parents is false. They had received complaints.
One thing is certain, Liberty is on this and will be until it is resolved. I'll keep you posted.
Most importantly, Christians must be well aware of these kinds of attempts to indoctrinate this generation.
Parents and grandparents with kids in government run public schools must be particularly informed and vigilant.
Paul wrote to Christians in I Corinthians 1:22,23, explaining that the concept of the cross-- "Christ crucified"---is "a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles."
However, those who actively seek to mock Christianity and attack those who sincerely follow Christ, see the cross as something beyond a stumbling block or foolishness.
They see the cross as a restraint to their political and moral agenda---and it must be eradicated at any cost.
We must see it as "the power of God" and act on that truth.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Bold. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.