A first-grade teacher at KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee, is challenging disciplinary action after he refused to read a book featuring a same-sex married couple to his students, citing religious objections.
Eric Rivera, a Christian educator, was reassigned following the dispute, and legal advocates are calling on the school to reverse the actions against him.
Earlier this year, Rivera discovered that two books in the first-grade language arts curriculum included themes of same-sex marriage.
On Jan. 6, when one of the books was scheduled for class, he arranged for a colleague to read it while he observed, stating that reading it himself would conflict with his religious beliefs.
The following day, Rivera said he was summoned to Principal Brittnee Kennedy’s office and warned that failing to teach the curriculum “with fidelity” could result in termination.
He was issued a “Final Warning” letter noting that any future incidents could lead to dismissal and that a copy would be added to his personnel file.
According to First Liberty Institute, Rivera had no prior disciplinary history.
After receiving the warning, Rivera requested a religious accommodation allowing another teacher to present the books while he continued teaching first grade.
The school reportedly declined, citing the centrality of support for same-sex marriage to the language arts unit.
Rivera was subsequently reassigned to a lab and technology position and later to a kindergarten classroom, according to Fox News.
First Liberty Institute claims that KIPP Nashville Public Schools violated Rivera’s rights under the First Amendment and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The organization emphasizes that employers are legally required to provide reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious practices unless doing so would create an “undue hardship” and that allowing a colleague to read the books would not constitute such a hardship.
Cliff Martin, senior counsel for First Liberty, told Fox News Digital, “Requiring a teacher to violate their religious beliefs in order to keep their job is blatant discrimination that violates the Civil Rights Act. Teachers don’t forfeit their religion or religious beliefs when they enter the classroom.”
The case also raises questions about parental notification under Tennessee law for curriculum covering sexual orientation or gender identity.
The books at issue are listed under LGBT categories and have appeared on the American Library Association’s Rainbow Book List.
First Liberty has requested that the school review compliance with notification requirements and preserve relevant records in anticipation of potential litigation.
Rivera’s situation highlights a broader national debate over the balance between institutional curriculum policies and the religious convictions of educators.
Advocates say it underscores ongoing tensions between protecting religious freedom, ensuring inclusive classroom content, and respecting parental rights in public schools.
The demand letter from First Liberty asks that Rivera’s “Final Warning” be removed from his personnel file, that the school adopt formal policies accommodating religious objections, and that employees not face discipline for faith-based refusals to present specific curricular content.
The organization also seeks assurances that such accommodations would not negatively impact classroom instruction.
As of publication, neither Principal Kennedy nor the KIPP Nashville Schools Board had issued a comment on the allegations.
Rivera’s case serves as one of the few documented instances of a teacher facing formal disciplinary measures for declining to read classroom material on grounds of personal religious belief, drawing attention to ongoing debates over religious liberty, parental notification, and curricular standards in U.S. education.
