Indiana District Approves Pornographic Book In Class, Bans Requirement For Parental Consent

The school board denied a motion to require parental consent for children to access the book and approved another to keep the title on library shelves.

New Jersey Unions Demand State Hire Teachers Who Struggle To Read Or Write

Unions are not interested in representing excellent teachers or providing children with superior educational experiences.

Exclusive: Qatar’s Influence Network In American Public Schools Has Unwitting Teachers Advancing Its Propaganda

Qatari funding of American public education programs could be part of the indoctrination scheme leading to protests on college campuses.

SCOTUS To Decide If Parents Can Reject LGBT Brainwashing For Their Children

To protect their religious beliefs and their children's innocence, these Montgomery County parents are taking their fight to SCOTUS.

Teachers Unions Conspire To Evade Trump’s Border Solutions With ‘ICE-Free Safe Zones’

The National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers published guides telling school staff how to help illegals evade ICE in a bid to derail Trump's popular immigration measures.

Education Department takes wrecking ball to DEI on Trump's orders: 'Glorious sight to behold'



President Donald Trump has taken a flamethrower to the racist DEI initiatives and other forms of race-based discrimination that embedded themselves throughout the federal government over the course of decades.

The 47th president began by requiring that the heads of all federal agencies, departments, or commissions eliminate all DEI offices, positions, initiatives, programs, contracts, and performance requirements under their purview; ordering the government to eliminate DEI discrimination in the federal workforce as well as in federal contracting and spending; rescinding numerous race- and identity-centered executive orders issued by Democratic presidents, including Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 affirmative action Executive Order 11246; and tasking his inbound attorney general with preparing a civil rights-focused campaign against private-sector DEI practitioners.

The Department of Education, which Trump has nominated former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO and America First Policy Institute Chair Linda McMahon to run, recently signaled its compliance with the president's orders, noting in a Jan. 23 statement, "The U.S. Department of Education has taken action to eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including references to them in public-facing communication channels and its associated workforce."

'Not tired of winning.'

"These actions are in line with President Trump's ongoing commitment to end illegal discrimination and wasteful spending across the federal government," continued the statement. "They are the first step in reorienting the agency toward prioritizing meaningful learning ahead of divisive ideology in our schools."

The DOE noted that for starters, it eliminated its Diversity and Inclusion Council, which was established as a consequence of former President Barack Obama's Executive Order 13583 — among the Democratic presidential actions Trump rescinded. The Education Department also closed its Employee Engagement Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility Council within the Office for Civil Rights.

In addition to placing DEI apparatchiks on paid leave, the department withdrew its Equity Action Plan; identified for removal over 200 department webpages that "housed DEI resources and encouraged schools and institutions of higher education to promote or endorse harmful ideological programs"; and canceled its race-obsessive training and service contracts, which were valued at over $2.6 million.

The department noted on X that these are the first steps "in reorienting the agency toward prioritizing meaningful learning and implementing President Trump's vision to reform education."

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said of the changes, "Not tired of winning."

"DEI was a house of cards since its inception, and it's finally crumbling," tweeted All-American swim star Riley Gaines. "Such a glorious sight to behold."

While the DOE appears to have already excised much of the racist malignancy, it signaled that there's still work left to do, noting, "The Department will continue its comprehensive review of all agency programs and services to identify additional initiatives and working groups that may be advancing a divisive DEI agenda, including programs using coded or imprecise language to disguise their activity."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Veteran teacher suspended, faces firing for having cross by desk; law firm says school district violating free speech rights



A public school teacher in Connecticut was suspended and threatened with termination after refusing to remove a small crucifix near her desk, according to a religious liberty law firm representing her.

Marisol Arroyo-Castro — a veteran teacher of more than 30 years who is a devout Catholic — has reportedly been a victim of religious discrimination.

'The Supreme Court has made it clear that the days of intimidating teachers from even the most benign expressions of faith are over.'

The teacher's job evaluation from June 2024 touted Castro as a "proficient" instructor who "holds [her class] to high expectations," plus her students "showed growth."

According to the First Liberty Institute, Castro regularly received "proficient' or "exemplary" evaluations as a teacher at the DiLoreto Elementary & Middle School in New Britain, Connecticut.

Castro has reportedly displayed a small crucifix beside her desk for about the last 10 years. The grandmother of five allegedly received the crucifix from the family of a deceased friend as a memento.

Castro treasures the crucifix and considers it a part of her personal and religious identity. She said having the crucifix in view near her desk brought her daily calm, peace, and strength — especially on challenging teaching days.

This school year, Castro hung the crucifix at the bottom of a whiteboard near her desk. Above the cross is artwork by students and a sign that reads: "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."

First Liberty Institute

On Dec. 3, 2024, DiLoreto Elementary & Middle School Assistant Principal Andrew Mazzei allegedly emailed Castro regarding the crucifix hanging in her classroom. Mazzei reportedly requested a meeting over "concern" over the small cross.

Three days after the email was sent, Castro met with Mazzei and Jennifer Pagan, a representative of her local union. Castro was ordered to take down the crucifix, according to the First Liberty Institute, a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation "dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans."

The assistant principal went to Castro's classroom two days later and noticed that the crucifix was still displayed.

A day later, Castro purportedly met with Mazzei, DiLoreto Principal Dario Soto, Consolidated School District of New Britain chief of staff Maryellen Manning, and American Federation of Teachers field operative Ed Leavy.

The administrators allegedly advised Castro to keep the crucifix in her desk drawer, and only take the cross out when she needed to “ground herself.”

By the end of the meeting, the administrators decided that a compromise would be for Castro to hang the cross underneath her desk near her feet. Despite being "shocked," Castro complied.

The First Liberty Institute noted that another teacher at the school featured a coffee mug with a citation to the biblical book of Proverbs 3 on their desk, and another teacher's personal bulletin space spotlights a small photograph of a statue of the Virgin Mary.

First Liberty Institute

However, Castro "immediately felt sick and grew distraught" to the point that others reportedly noticed her sobbing just minutes before a scheduled parent-teacher conference.

Defending her religious faith, Castro returned the crucifix to its place on the wall on Dec. 11, 2024.

"She did so, out of personal conscience, because hiding the crucifix under her desk would 'hide her light under a bushel,'" the First Liberty Institute stated in a letter sent to the board of directors for the Consolidated School District of New Britain.

The school district reportedly retaliated on the same day by issuing a Letter of Reprimand to Castro, accusing her that her actions were “insubordinate.” The letter allegedly declared that Soto would come to her classroom to "assist [Ms. Castro] with removing the cross from [her] classroom" by the end of the school day.

Castro allegedly informed Soto that she would not remove the cross.

However, Soto reportedly told her that she must remove the cross to properly “live out [her] faith” and called on her to “give Caesar what is Caesar’s.”

Soto allegedly threatened Castro with a suspension and possible termination for insubordination if she did not take down the small cross by the next morning.

Castro purportedly left the cross on the wall, and the next morning, she noticed that the crucifix had been removed from the wall.

Castro was summoned to another meeting with administrators, and Manning reportedly told the dedicated teacher that a few days without pay would help her better “reflect” on whether it was in her “best interest” to keep hanging the crucifix on the wall.

According to the First Liberty Institute, Castro's union representative said on Dec. 13 that she would face an additional five-day suspension for insubordination if she did not comply with the school district's demands.

On Dec. 16, Castro emailed the Consolidated School District of New Britain to express that she could not in good conscience return to school under the school’s condition that her cross be placed under the desk.

"We are aware, however, that Ms. Castro has been pressured to resign or retire early and sign an agreement not to sue the district," the First Liberty Institute stated. "We are additionally aware that the district has threatened to terminate Ms. Castro unless she agrees to conceal the crucifix underneath her desk or in a similarly hidden place."

The First Liberty Institute declared, "The Establishment Clause does not enable the district to violate Ms. Castro’s right to freely exercise her religion Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and under the Connecticut Constitution, the district may not abridge its employees’ free speech rights, nor their rights to freely exercise their religion."

The Consolidated School District of New Britain told Fox News, "That the symbol posted was on the classroom's front wall is important. It was part of the classroom environment for all students to see, infringing on the religious freedom of our students."

"We will not allow any teacher to use their position of authority to impose their personal religious beliefs or infringe on the civil rights of students," stated Dr. Tony Gasper, superintendent of schools. "Our commitment is to ensure a learning environment where all students feel respected."

The school district said Castro has been placed on paid leave while administrators attempt to resolve the issue in a "cooperative and collaborative fashion."

Keisha Russell, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, proclaimed, “Requiring a teacher to purge their workspace of anything religious is blatant discrimination that violates the First Amendment.”

"The Supreme Court has made it clear that the days of intimidating teachers from even the most benign expressions of faith are over," Russell continued. "Asking a teacher to purge their workspace of anything religious is an affront to the First Amendment and violates both state and federal law. The school district needs to back down now."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Ohio’s New Parental Rights Law Protects Both Students And Educators

The law protects students from being manipulated and groomed — and teachers and counselors from being punished for telling parents the truth.

Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Takes Aim At Local School Board Races

Planned Parenthood will pour money into Pennsylvania school board races in an effort to normalize transgender child mutilation and the killing of babies through abortion.