Staver: Teacher's Bible-Based Opinion on Homosexuality No Grounds for Discipline

Attorney Suggests School Wouldn't Win a Court Case If It Comes to That

By Jim Brown and Jody Brown
March 24, 2006

(AgapePress) - A Florida-based Christian attorney says a Miami public high school was wrong to publicly reprimand a teacher for stating her biblical opposition to homosexuality while being interviewed for a student video project that was broadcast throughout the school.

Teacher Donna Reddick was one of several people at the school who were interviewed by students in a television production class who were doing a three-day segment regarding homosexuality. The students' productions are broadcast regularly over the school public address system following morning announcements.

According to Virtue Magazine, the first day of the segment on homosexuality featured comments from students expressing support for homosexual rights. The following day, a school counselor talked about how people should respect others. It was on the third day that comments by students -- and Reddick -- were aired in opposition to homosexuality. The business technology teacher spoke about her religious beliefs.

"My perspective on homosexuality is that it is wrong according to the Bible," she is quoted by the Miami Herald as saying. "God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sexual sins, which included homosexuality." The newspaper reports that during the interview, Reddick also pointed out that it is impossible for homosexual couples to carry out God's order for humanity to multiply.

Lucia Cox, principal of 3,200-student Miami Sunset Senior High School, says the 53-year-old teacher may have violated school board policy when she made her remarks. "We separate church and state," Cox told the Herald. "We don't discriminate against sexual preference." In addition, says the newspaper, some homosexual students at the school were offended by the remarks, one describing it as "an attack on their entire life."

But attorney Mat Staver, president and general counsel for Liberty Counsel, implies the school should not be surprised by the broadcast. "If you have a forum like this, that students are using to express themselves, this is the price of free speech,'' he tells the Herald. And as for homosexual students who may have taken offense, he suggests the teacher's comments should be viewed in the same light as a Christian student feeling uncomfortable hearing statements in support of homosexual rights.

Staver also expresses his opinion that Principal Cox is wrong to suggest that Reddick's comments violate the so-called "separation of state" or "discriminate against sexual preference."

"This teacher was approached by a student, and this program was aired by this student organization over the airwaves," he explains, adding that when a teacher is asked to express his or her personal opinion, the teacher has a right to do so. "She doesn't have to simply say, 'Well, because I've got personal opinions I can't respond to your question specifically because my opinions are religious.' That would be unconstitutional and certainly absurd."

The Orlando-based attorney says if anything was problematic, it was the actions of school officials who allowed the airing of a program with a mostly one-sided view of homosexuality. "Everything was pro-homosexuality except for one comment on the last day," Staver says, "and that's the comment by this teacher, Donna Reddick. And she clearly was able, in that context, to give her own personal view based upon Scripture being contrary to homosexuality."

Staver believes the school might end up facing a lawsuit if it chooses to take action against Reddick because some find her viewpoint objectionable. "I think if the school does anything to censor her or to discipline her [it] would be a violation of her constitutional rights, subjecting the school to a lawsuit I don't believe that they will win," he says.

Reddick has worked for the district since 1973. The Miami Herald reports a review by school district officials has yet to determine whether she violated any school board rules.