Illinois Family Institute Goes After Me Again

That woman is pure evil and spite and I’ve emailed her expressing my utter contempt and disgust for her, her organisation and everything it stands for.

I doubt she’ll listen… me being a gay happy atheist in a solid relationship in Europe where we have a social health care plan that works for everyone…. she’ll probably freak at the thought and try and get me the sack as well !!!

Hopefully her ‘campaign” and drivel will get the response it deserves…NONE

Perhaps she should go live in a religious country, and I’m thinking somewhere like Saudi here, and find out what really living in a theocracy is like. And being female, she’s also learn a thing or two about what it’s like to be discriminated.

Again, we have an unwarranted bigoted attack on Hemant. Her attitude is utterly un-Christian.

I feel sorry for those who must endure Laurie Higgins. Everything I have seen her write leads me to believe that she is a small minded woman.

How dare you have subversive ideas! In America! This country was founded on towing the line and strictly obeying the people in charge, after all.

It seems a fairly typical religious line; you’re free to say whatever you like and do whatever you like … as long as it’s christian.

Of all the reasons I’ve ever heard for kids wanting to switch teachers, I’ve never heard anyone say, “That teacher’s private life disturbs me.”

I have heard of such things. I have heard of teachers getting in trouble with some parents because of risque pictures on Myspace pages, and for being photographed nude by a professional artistic photographer who posted on flickr. I have heard of parents complaining because a teacher is an atheist, or gay. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is.

I think it’s great you took this opportunity to illustrate the confusion between endorsing a point of view and providing a forum for someone to express a point of view. Goodness, does she think newspapers endorse all the viewpoints in letters to advice columns, the columns themselves, and letters to the editor?

I agree with those who suggest you ignore her. It appears she is going to continue to write about you, probably again soon in response to this blog entry. I doubt it is possible for her to look any more ridiculous and infantile than she already does.

Personal message to Laurie Higgins.

We are everywhere. Hemant may be the only one you know, but I can assure you that your children hold secrets. They know many more of us. And here’s the part that makes me all warm and happy inside. The more they are exposed to us, the lower they will value your opinion.

Laurie, you’re only hope for your children is to lock them in the attic until they turn 21.

(cue mad scientist laugh)

Personal message for rational, decent, good natured Christians supporting Hemant (and by extensional all of us)… you guys friggin’ rock!

Thanks

I’m not really a fan of lawsuits, but at what point does this become libel or defamation? She really seems like she’s out to get Hemant fired.

Hi Hemant

..promote any feckless, destructive, offensive, and immoral ideas he wants via his blog…

Been reading your blog for a while and never come across anything like this written by you. Keep up the good blogging.

Some parents fail to understand the adolescent mind: they fail to understand that teens are often predisposed to affirm the ideas of adults whom they find cool or personable or funny or iconoclastic.

Which allows them to be brainwashed into religious dogma and bigotry.

But there’s nothing wrong with that according to these people. Believe what we believe, or else! Individuality and free thinking be damned! No religious views in the classroom… unless it’s our religion.

I find it strange that comments are not allowed on that site. Gee, I wonder why? 🙂

Yep, I do hope this doesn’t turn legal, Hemant, but you gotta be ready for it if it does. Of course, we here in the “blogosphere” will support you. Perhaps a red-caped Cory Doctorow will fly to your rescue. But most likely you’ll need to have a lawyer ready to go.

Unlike people who are reasonable, I don’t think any of us should bother emailing Ms. Higgins. She’s going to use this as a personal crusade against atheism in the schools, and it’s pretty obvious she’s going to try and form a schwerpunkt around Hemant. As long as he keeps being sane and humorous about the situation, it’ll turn out okay.

Dear Mizz Higgins:

You are being subversive to us. Please stop.

Smiles and Lollipops,

The Nice People Who Attempt to Share Earth with You.

You are being dishonest — Ms. Higgins does NOT call for you to be fired. She suggests that parents OPT their children from your class and influence. In my opinion, this is a reasonable suggestion.

Complaining to one’s superiors doesn’t automatically mean that she is asking for him to be fired.

Do you or Hemant have any evidence that Ms. Higgins asked for him to be dismissed? If not, you are merely speculating…

Yes it’s nice to see Christians coming out in support of Hemant. That makes me happy. I have no problems at all with those Christians.

Because, what it comes down to is that people are people. There are good people, who you’d be happy to have teach your kids math, because they’re great people like Hemant. And then there are not so nice people. People who you’d really wish to avoid.

It’s not about belief or disbelief, or atheism, theism or pantheism or polytheism. It’s about people who are only are not bigoted, who are not racist or homophobic. It’s about people who can live together and not fight or kill or be nasty, and those that find it difficult to live in a peaceful society.

How very tolerant of you Pete!

I like the new picture! However, as a suggestion, don’t use it on social networking sites if you want to attract a woman. It’s too standoff-ish.

Hemant, keep doing what you are doing, but do get some legal advice in case this donkey’s anus of a woman’s malicious plans come to fruition.

Her statement:

“It’s all about diversity and choice.”

proves there isn’t a god. If there was she would have been struck by lightning, frogs or something.

And tell Ms. Higgins, er.., Ian s/he isn’t fooling anyone.

She showed her true colours (notice the correct spelling!!) there when she stated “there were more than a few supporters of the normalization of homosexuality”

Dear Laurie dear….. by the statement you indicate that you think homosexuality abnormal. There’s a word for people like you..BIGOT.

I suggest you read that book of fairy tales you quote ad nauseam on your so called website and read up about the bits on “love” and “tolerance” and “love they neighbour”

I also take as you seem to follow every letter of that book that you quote and love so much that you don’t wear leather or cotton at the same time? you lock yourself away for 5 days of the month that you are “unclean” ?.and I’m interested according to Leviticus you can sell your daughter ? What’s the going rate for her as I could with a maid ????

Ms. Higgins:

If you’re not interested in getting Hemant fired, and if you admit that everything he’s doing is legal and Constitutional, then why on earth would you contact his employers about any of this?

I can see putting out a warning to parents from your organization (although if you want to warn them about every likable teacher who promotes values you find offensive, you’ve got a long road ahead of you), but I don’t see what his employers have to do with any of that. Do you expect *them* to send out letters to parents, warning them that their kids might look up Hemant’s site?

Any attention you continue to focus on Hemant’s beliefs will only lead to more traffic for his website, and possibly more interest from his current and former students.

If you were truly only interested in an apology from Hemant and/or warning parents about his website, then you would not have contacted his employers. He didn’t make the “offensive” remark about the kiss-in in the context of his job in any way, and again, you’ve admitted that he’s not breaking any laws or terms of employment.

That is why Hemant has every right to his suspicion that you are trying to get him fired.

May I suggest that all schools create a flyer at the beginning of the school year that details all the private outside activities of all the teachers in a school so every parent can make a decision about which teachers they want their precious children exposed to? Maybe Mrs. Smith enjoys browsing the single ads even though she’s married. Perhaps Mr. Jones once wrote a term paper on the benefits of the legalization of marijuana. Suppose Mrs. Williams is going through a nasty divorce and is in therapy. We should be made aware of these things. After all, it’s for the children.

We as parents should be told all private details of the lives of teachers so we can only allow our children to talk to people who are exact replicas of ourselves and save them from the horror of being acquainted with people different from their parents.

You fail to acknowledge a central point that I addressed in my articles, which is many teens are unduly influenced by emotion or the cult of personality and are therefore predisposed to look favorably on the ideas of teachers whom they find cool or charismatic or funny or kind or iconoclastic.

and you clearly didn’t read my earlier comment where I debunked, or rather clarified this statement from another angle. You can replace the word “teachers” to any other adult figure and my point still stands.

I’m surprised you had the balls to actually post here. Now could you enable comments on your side and provide linkbacks to this site? Oh no, of course not. Only one side of the discussion allowed on your site!

Stay classy Mrs. Higgins. Keep giving this publicity and making yourself look all the more foolish to us rational people.

I would just like to echo the “thanks yous!” to the nice Christians for supporting Hemant. Even though I’m atheist, I don’t always agree with everything posted on his site, but that’s freedom of speech. At least I get to read things from other points of view. This lady has a personal vendetta against Hemant, and I think she should really think about what she’s doing and how much she is damaging the image of Christianity as a loving religion. You’re doing much harm.

After Ms. Higgins letters and rationalizations, Jesus must be rolling in his unmarked grave. I don’t think Ms. Higgins actions are what Jesus would do.

If she wants full disclosure to parents of every teacher’s life outside the classroom, she should just advocate home schooling on her blog and cease her interference in public education.

If I write a whole bunch of letters telling other parents at my kid’s school that they should pull their kids out of Mr. Smith’s class because he attends a biblically based church and works to prevent the legalization of gay marriage in his spare time – Christians would be screaming PROSECUTION at the top of their lungs.

Dear Laurie Higgins,
Why don’t you follow your biblical scriptures and shut up. Doesn’t your scripture tell you to be quiet. Your stupid attacks on people is probably the exact reason your god has dictated that woman should not be speaking.
I am sure grateful for this attack on Hemant. This is exactly the type of stuff that drove me away from the church to begin with and you have just confirmed my reasons as valid.

Instead of showing the love of christ, you make evil attacks on people, simply because they have a difference of opinion.

Another perfect example of why religion is the most deconstructive force in mans arsenal.

You are pathetic and make me proud to be an atheist….

I’ve got to call B.S. here. If Laurie Higgins is truly only trying to distribute information to potentially-concerned parents about Hemant’s activism, what does she expect those parents to do with this information? Given that she specifically refers to parents pulling kids out of his class, her real objective is patently obvious.

If I had a kid, I’d want Hemant Mehta to be her teacher. I’d steer my kid as far away as I could from any school that employed Laurie Higgins, up to and including moving to a different school district. Why? Ms. Higgins has demonstrated that she is both a bigot and a sophist; Mr. Mehta has demonstrated professionalism and integrity.

Ms. Higgins,

I’m struggling to understand your obsession with sexual orientation.

Sometimes an individuals gender does not match their sexual preference. This is the reality in which we live.

Perhaps in your narrow religious view homosexuals are evil. For those of us in a tolerant, rational world, consenting adults can love as they please.

If you loath Hemant because he’s an atheist, be honest and say so. Leave the superfluous gay-bashing out of the discourse – it makes you look like an intolerant bigot.

Another thought occurs to me — Hemant may already have a good legal claim for for defamation, because Higgins’ campaign against him strongly suggests that he is an unfit teacher when the facts demonstrate otherwise.

If anything does happen to Hemant’s job, he’ll also have a very strong case against IFI and Higgins for interference with contractual relations and prospective economic advantage. If something does happen, Hemant, contact me and I’ll take your case on a contingent-fee basis. I don’t make that offer to just anyone.

@Pete,

she’s illogical, delusional, hateful, sneaky, squarky, smarmy and downright evil

I second that.

The coolest thing I just learned from Ms. Higgins is that Hemant is a math teacher at the high school my son will be attending in 9 years, so I’m one of those cool parents that will be excited to hear that he’s my son’s teacher. Not because I’m an atheist, and Hemant shares my views, but because I love that he’s had parents tell him how much their child loves math because of him. Whether or not Ms. Higgins or other intolerant idiots share his beliefs, you can’t dispute that if he’s doing his job well, there’s absolutely no basis by which to fire him, have him reported, or take your child out of his class. So, Hemant, if you’re still around in 9 years, you have at least one parent excited to have her child in your class.

I did not, as one of your blog commenters suggested, call for you to be fired. I notified them that you made the public, vindictive, irresponsible, and unprofessional suggestion that the Kiss-In would be even better if it took place in front of my home.

It’s called a JOKE, Higgie. Pull your head out of your posterior and get over your victim complex.

Would Ms. Higgins protest so vehemently if if Hemant were Jewish and had a blog promoting Judaism, yet had the same professional stance and record of only teaching math to his students and never bringing up his beliefs in class? What he were Muslim? What about a Christian denomination other than hers? I suspect that she would have problems unless Hemant were her same denomination and agreed with everything that she believed, regardless of how he conducts himself in his job.

On the other hand, I would have no problem with my daughter having a math teacher who was a devout Christian, Muslim, Jew, Jain, or even Scientologist, provided that they stuck to their job in the classroom, didn’t bring their beliefs into the classroom, and were competent at teaching their subject.

I suspect that because Christians like Ms. Higgins are not able to keep their religious beliefs to themselves, they cannot conceive that anyone who might have a different belief/philosophy/life stance would be capable of acting professionally at their job and keeping their religion or lack therof out of it.

LOL! Your ideas are “subversive!”

She seems to object to your being popular with your students… and being an atheist. I suspect that if you were a boring, milquetoast teacher that the kids forgot immediately after walking out your door, she wouldn’t have a problem with your being an atheist.

It must seem terrible to her that there exists someone who is friendly, charismatic, gifted at his job, and popular who is also an atheist.

Kudos to you. 🙂

Laurie Higgins,

Reasonable people might infer that while not directly calling for Hemant to get fired the consequence of both telling parents about Hemant’s views, and your advocation of parents asking for teachers with Hemant’s views to not be allowed to teach their children, might threaten his fucking job. Lets hope that there aren’t ignorant dumbshit superstitious parents who actually follow your ignorant dumbshit superstitious advice.

It’s probably the same reason that three years ago a well-known homosexual blogger informed my former superintendent that I had been interviewed on Moody Radio on the topic of homosexuality. During my last three years at Deerfield High School, there were more than a few supporters of the normalization of homosexuality who wrote publicly and contacted my administration about my unfitness as a role model for students—and I worked in the writing center where I had no classes.

a) I don’t think normalization means what you think it means.

b) Ah, the old two wrongs make a right argument, well it’s from the Bible so I guess you’re true to your word.

I said that other parents may believe that teachers are potential influences but agree with your public promotion of polyamory, homosexuality, “sex-positivity,” and the non-existence of God, in which case they may love for you to become a role model in their children’s lives.

For someone who complains about accusations without evidence that’s two false accusations.

a) I have never read the promotion of polyamory in the posts on this site, not even by the guest poster who is a polyamorist. Hemant did not promote it. I think you’re confusing “promotion” with “tolerance” but ignorant bigots tend to do that.

b) There are plenty of posts by Hemant explaining his position on God, apparantly you have read none of them, but that’s unsurprising given your promotion of ignorance. Hemant does not promote any claim of the “non-existence of God”.

(This is a response to Laurie Higgins posting here)

I have never in any context suggested that you should be fired or that you should resign. In fact, I don’t believe the school has any legal right to fire you. You should have fact-checked before you posted that factually inaccurate statement.

If you don’t believe the school has any legal right to do anything about Hemant, then why did you have the brass balls to contact his employer? Could it be you were hoping that by being ‘stealth’ about your attempt, he’d not find out? Hate to burst your bubble, but people can smell bullshit a mile away, and usually don’t like underhanded tactics. Just because you won’t do the right thing, doesn’t mean other people will follow suit.

In addition, I have repeatedly stated that you have a First Amendment right to make whatever public statements you want on any topic. I have also made it abundantly clear that my goal is to provide information to District 204 parents–particularly IFI readers—about the nature of the ideas you express and endorse on your public blog so that they can make informed decisions as to whether they want their children to spend a school year under your tutelage.

It begs the question WHY you contacted the school board and not the parents? Are you worried that the parents may not agree with you?

In my first, brief email to your administrators and school board, I did not, as one of your blog commenters suggested, call for you to be fired. I notified them that you made the public, vindictive, irresponsible, and unprofessional suggestion that the Kiss-In would be even better if it took place in front of my home.

Somehow, I happen to think that if given the chance, you’d gladly cause a ruckus in front of Hemant’s home in the name of your plight. Please don’t tell me you wouldn’t – you religious fundamentalists never pass up an oppertunity to spite your opposition.

IYou fail to acknowledge a central point that I addressed in my articles, which is many teens are unduly influenced by emotion or the cult of personality and are therefore predisposed to look favorably on the ideas of teachers whom they find cool or charismatic or funny or kind or iconoclastic.

I _wish_ I had a teacher like Hemant in high school. I probably wouldn’t have been bored out of my mind, and actually enjoyed school. If he was a Christian, would you have the same issue with him being charismatic? Probably not. Even if on the random chance, reading his blog causes a teen to question his faith, is that really a bad thing? If that teen reaffirms his faith after investigating alternatives, isn’t that more powerful then someone who just blindly accepts faith without proper reason? I applaud religious people who take the time to invesitgate other religions and atheism – it shows the mind of a person who isn’t going to get pushed around by others.

On the other hand, that type of person is more likely to follow a non-Christian based religion, so thats dangerous in your mind. Can’t have people thinking on their own!

IIf students search your name and come upon your blog, they will be exposed to your endorsement and promotion of many ideas that parents may find deeply troubling. If students have you as their teacher, like you, and develop a relationship with you—as happens often in high school—they will be more likely to look favorably on and be influenced by your ideas than those students who have no connection with you. This is the reason that many parents care deeply about role models.

Couldn’t the same thing be said about religious individuals influencing teens? What if I, an Atheist, have a child in school where their teacher is peddling creationism as a science? Don’t I have a right to be offended then? Oh, forgot, because I’m a heathenistic Atheist, I have no right to be offended at the disgusting behavior fundies show.

It’s the reason there were some recent stories about parents being upset that a high school cheerleading coach posed in her private life for Playboy magazine, or why some parents would not want their children in the class of a teacher who in their free time on a public forum promotes racist views or denies the historicity of the Holocaust.

Funny, aren’t you doing the equivelant of being racist at this very moment?

It’s probably the same reason that three years ago a well-known homosexual blogger informed my former superintendent that I had been interviewed on Moody Radio on the topic of homosexuality. During my last three years at Deerfield High School, there were more than a few supporters of the normalization of homosexuality who wrote publicly and contacted my administration about my unfitness as a role model for students—and I worked in the writing center where I had no classes.

So you know exactly how it feels. So, one must ask themselves, why are you doing the same thing to Hemant? Are you that self-righteous and blind that you think this is any different?

In my second article about you, I concluded by saying that some parents may not view teachers as potentially influential role models for their children, and therefore those parents will be fine with you as their children’s teacher.

I said that other parents may believe that teachers are potential influences but agree with your public promotion of polyamory, homosexuality, “sex-positivity,” and the non-existence of God, in which case they may love for you to become a role model in their children’s lives.

Only the religious fundies would find being open minded a bad thing. This coming from the same group of people who say homosexuality is a more important problem in this country then homelessness, kids not getting medical care, starvation, and murder. Now who’s got their priorities mixed up?

But other parents, perhaps some Jewish, Muslim, or Christian parents, may have concerns about the adults with whom their children spend time, develop relationships, and who may potentially influence their children and may also have significant disagreement with the ideas you promote on your public blog. Those parents are entitled to sufficient information to make informed choices about the very public activities of their children’s teachers—something that for some odd reason seems to offend you.

Do not think for a moment that you speak for Jewish or Muslim familiies. Unlike Christians, I know for a fact Jews do not have the drive to convert every person they set their eyes on. Unlike most Christians, both Jewish and Muslim families tend to have traditions they follow more closely without being as picky and choosey like you’all do. They tend to take their faith more seriously, and not just use it as an excuse to attack/hate/murder.

Mr. Mehta, this is at least the second time that you have made inaccurate statements about me without evidence (the first was in your blog entry following your attendance at my presentation at Wheaton Bible Church). If you cannot produce one piece of evidence from my writing to support your claim that I am “going after” your job, then please retract that statement.

You need to apologize to Hemant, and retract the statements you made to the school board. Regardless, you won’t change the minds of alot of people who now see you as the raving lunatic you are.

I am not the Friendly Atheist. I’m the atheist who’s tired of the bullshit you fundies spew. I’m the atheist who will be bluntly honest about her feelings, regardless of who it offends. I’m the atheist who has no problems taking to task those who unfairly target others. I am also the atheist who supports their friends whenever and whereever they may need me. I’m the atheist who donates her time to charity every time she gets. I’m the atheist who would give her last $5 to a person on the street if I knew it would help them survive another day.

That being said, I’d not want for Hemant to do anything different. He’s a better person then both of us, and for that fact alone, I have the utmost respect and admiration.

they fail to understand that teens are often predisposed to affirm the ideas of adults whom they find cool or personable or funny or iconoclastic.

I really have to agree with Higgins on this one! It took a couple years of therapy and antidepressants to overcome the indoctrination in evangelical Christianity I received all through high school. Thankfully, I can now say I’m fully recovered.

Superb post Brielle – I wouldn’t hold our breath that she will respond. The truth hurts and they can’t listen to it as they are so conditioned to be being brainwashed !!

How dare you be the kind of teacher that students will like. Don’t you realize that being a competent teacher who isn’t hated by his students is subersive?

Holy crap, man. This is outrageous. You have a lot of support out there behind you , please do not hesitate to use it.

“You fail to acknowledge a central point that I addressed in my articles, which is many teens are unduly influenced by emotion or the cult of personality and are therefore predisposed to look favorably on the ideas of teachers whom they find cool or charismatic or funny or kind or iconoclastic.”

I see another potential role model that must Laurie must work to neutralize. There is a charismatic man in the White House who not only chose to be born a black, but allowed his white mother to consort with his black father before he was born. Oh my! This terrible example in a high place might give our children the idea that racial tolerance is not only okay, but actually a good thing!

If nothing else has come from this rather unsavory affair, my determination to become the best damn High School Biology teacher in the county has been strengthened ten-fold.

Thank you, Ms. Higgins for lacking the strength of character to confront Hemant directly. Thank you for failing to consider that all teachers have a private life that someone, somewhere, likely objects to. Thank you for failing to realize that parents share their children’s ability to research teachers on the internet. Thank you for assuming it your duty to act as a mediator in matters that do not concern you directly. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to see that there are school officials who understand that a teacher’s life beyond the classroom is irrelevant to their effectiveness in the classroom. Thank you for continuing to express your horror at the notion of an openly Atheist teacher, regardless of his obvious passion for and ability in his field. Thank you for reminding us all how important our freedom of speech is, and that the world is not yet as tolerant as the rational among us wish it was.

I have noted that a good many of our teachers attend Church every week, and have blogs that support their religious views and disseminate their arrogant and intolerant attitudes.
I expect good role models for my offspring. I want people who are moral because it is the right thing to do and not because they think some bearded tyrant will punish them later.
I don’t want my kids to get the idea that it is ok to be mean, angry, or exclusionary because someone had the hubris to dare claim they know what God wants.
Would I be allowed to take my child out of their classes and have only professed atheist teachers, please?

*Sputter*

This is another flagrant example of the kind of persecution tolerant Christians are always having to put up with! They’re no longer allowed to force everyone to pray with them in school! They’re no longer allowed to remind foreigners that our courts of law are based on sacred rules about not working on Sundays. Why, they’re no longer allowed to burn people they suspect might possibly be witches! And now they’re being fired merely for the beliefs they have outside the classroom. Just how much longer are they supposed to tolerate this intolerance?!

What’s that you say? A Christian is trying to get an atheist fired for being an atheist? Never mind, then.

Hemant’s situation presents some really interesting legal issues. He’s technically a governmental official working for a governmental agency. Since he works for a governmental agency, people have a right to petition that agency and bring their concerns before that agency.

So far, I haven’t seen anything false that they’ve said. So, while their behavior may be vile and contemptible, it could very well be legal.

This crap is such a shame. I remember 2 teachers especially who made me love the subjects they taught…math and history. I had crushes on both of them (in separate years). I’d have done just about anything for them.

I remember that the math teacher always smelled like cigarettes and cinnamon toast and the history teacher always wore really stupid ties. What I CAN’T remember is what, if any, religion they subscribed to. And, if the internet had been around at that time, I seriously doubt I’d have looked up either of them because I wouldn’t have wanted to know anything that would spoil my idealistic perception of them. And I can’t think that kids have changed -that- much.

I’ve had the priviledge of meeting you in person Hemant. You don’t put up with much guff, and are action-oriented. Your no-nonsense approach and openness that lead to your book is what I admire the most. I’d be proud if my child were in your class! Your intellect shines through this blog as well, and it is too bad some people you have to share this planet with are too pigheaded to look past their small minded stereotypes of what they think you must be like to see who you really are. As I can see here, you put your students first and wouldn’t bother to try to fill class time with distractions that would take away from students’ learning experiences. You are also a shining example that I would hope my child WOULD be influenced by you since your influence is to just motivate people to do their best and to work for something instead of giving up and/or whining. We need more teachers like you, and I hope the school board and parents can ignore small-minded whining from someone who clearly does not even know you.

Ms. Higgins sounds like quite the psycho.

“which is many teens are unduly influenced by emotion or the cult of personality and are therefore predisposed to look favorably on the ideas of teachers whom they find cool or charismatic or funny or kind or iconoclastic.”

Which is why “christians” do the exact same thing: having clowns such as Ted Haggard and “ex-gays” parading around onstage, trying to be funny with their stupid jokes (“I’m not gay anymore, but there’s no law that says I can’t be CAMPY!!!!”), throwing candy at the children, having kids jump and shriek to their silly songs (mainly about men being in love and infatuated with this “Jesus” guy).

Of course most of that bullshit is just their own way of trying to get the kids into bed with them.

BTW, I live in Illinois (near Belleville)

Greetings,

First, thanks for the link to my story about the Florida school administrators facing jail time for ignoring a court order and leading a prayer at a school function.

I have just finished an expose’ on the Illinois Family Institute: Portrait of Christian hate. There I outline the bigotry and hatred of Laurie Higgins and her organisation.

Follow the link and take a look.

Keep up the good work, I love reading your stuff.

peace

Since he works for a governmental agency, people have a right to petition that agency and bring their concerns before that agency.

Only about things done as a representative of that agency – not in their personal lives. (As a government employee, I’m keenly familiar with what we can and can’t do and when.)

What Hemant does in his personal life is not relevant to his employment status. If he were fired for being homosexual, he could sue for wrongful termination. Same goes for being an atheist.

Or maybe she’s upset that even Christians are supporting me on this matter.

Although whether or not I perfectly fit the label of Christian is another story, you can definitely count me in with the freethinking non-atheists who support you in this matter. I did not feel love in her letter, but judgment.

That’s good information Rachel. Are we allowed to ReTweet on blogs?:-) Here it is again …

” lol…they removed the contact link from their website. Guess they didn’t want to hear from us anymore.

Unfortunately they forgot to disable their contact form at http://www.illinoisfamily.org/contact/ so if you feel the need to ask them a question directly please feel free.”

Hey Hemant:

Hang in there buddy.

– Sidd

There’s only one thing to do about this:

Gay kiss-in in front of the Higgins residence! For real, you guys.

Good luck, Hemant. I can’t imagine what you are going through. I’m just glad it sounds like your school administration is standing behind you. Hang in there.

Well said Hemant. What a kook she and her ilk are, don’t let them get you down (and apparently you’re not LOL)

Yes, you should NOT be allowed to teach my children because the religion I instill in my children is too fragile to survive the harsh light of truth that you may accidentally shine in their direction.

Why can’t children be exposed to different faiths, or lack of faith; or learn to be tolerant of others not like themselves? …Unlike their parents.

I guess when evangelicals said “Teach the controversy,” they didn’t mean when it conflicted with their beliefs.

We support you Mr Mehta!

We need more atheist teachers in our schools to speak out.

I agree with stephen, you’re best to just ignore her. Every sizeable town (unfortunately) has at least one person of her general ilk that spends their life ranting at things.

You just want to be respectable about it all and let her make herself look the fool.

“it’s my private life” isn’t the best defence. Personally, I wouldn’t offer a “defence” at all. In fact, I basically wouldn’t offer any much in “reply” either, just a polite “empty” statement to the effect that “your accusations are inappropriate”, then move on. After all, if parents really want a “controlled” environment, they can simply choose to send their kids to a religious school. Given the school they have sent them to, the complaint does seem inappropriate.

You’re never really going to reason with her. After all, she closes her spiel with “It’s all about diversity and choice.”, seemingly without a jot of recognition of the irony of what she wrote and how it fails her own argument.

The bottom of the article on the IFI page reads:

Evil men don’t understand the importance of justice,
but those who follow the Lord are much concerned about it.
~Proverbs 28:5
(NKJV)

*eye roll*

Yeah. Nobody but a Christian could be a good role model. *snort* This intolerant attitude frustrates me. It’s the same attitude that will likely prevent an atheist (or a Muslim or a Jew or a Buddhist or an agnostic or probably even a nonpracticing Christian . . .) from ever becoming president.

Keep up the good work and ignore the bigots (hard, I know). The “who will think of the children” is an act–because it’s not about the kids. The very existence of happy friendly atheists who lead decent lives without the fear of hellfire to keep us in line affonts her. And she totally overestimates the power teachers have to mold children. I’ve had a raging rightwing Jesus freak teacher, and yet somehow I escaped unscathed (and she taught Civics!).

“teens are often predisposed to affirm the ideas of adults whom they find cool or personable or funny or iconoclastic.”

Once again, I come to the same old age-discrimination that plagues most mid-to-late teens. Are we really expected to be lacking in personal judgment that we would agree with the opinions of adults just because we like their personality? I think not. Good God, my trigonometry teacher is the coolest math teacher I’ve ever had, but if I were to find out that he’s a young earth creationist, I wouldn’t start thinking: “Alright, Earth is really only 6,000 years old!”. No, my teacher’s personal beliefs have no effect on my opinion of them at school. And they certainly wouldn’t change my mind about anything due to a mere likable personality trait.

The fault begins here:

“parents have the right not to have him as a teacher and a role model for their children.”

Where, oh where, do people get the idea that they have just any right they feel like having today?

The rights we have are outlined very thoroughly in a legal document called the Bill of Rights. If it’s not in there, you don’t have it.

As far as I know, there’s nothing in there about a “right” to not have atheist math teachers. I could check, though.

Nope. Still not there. Sorry theist fantasies, you lose. :

I don’t understand it when people attack someone for being “sex positive.” I thought we’d moved past the Victorian idea that people, least of all women, should not enjoy sex.

So does this old dinosaur have children of her own? Amazing that someone got through all those petticoats and the chastity belt.

And if I had children of my own, I’d have a better time trusting them to an atheist than one of those creepy pedophile priests you see every time you turn around in the news.

Just one more voice of support here. Coming to you from a Biology teacher in MN.

Laurie,

You have the right to chose what you do. I have asked you repeatedly to point to one time Jesus remotely treated anyone like this … and you have failed to do so. That you continue reveals your motivation lies in something other than following Jesus.

I told you that if you did anything other than personally and sincerely apologize to Hemant for contacting his bosses … that NO ONE would hear what else you have to say. You chose not to apologize … and no one will listen to your arguments … you will just be mocked. While I appreciate that you are now persuaded to focus on parents and not his employers … that you will neither admit nor apologize for you past actions toward his employers drowns out any nuanced improvements.

I agreed with you that suffering is something a follower of Jesus should expect … but I also reminded you that even Peter points out in his first letter that some Christians suffer for following Jesus and some suffer for being meddlers. You continue to meddle and continue to suffer. If you quit meddling, your suffering will go down … because the people on this blog are speaking ill of you because you are behaving like a jerk … not because you are following Jesus.

I told you all this would happen. You chose it. Enjoy it, and I will pray that you learn from this. I will also pray that you enjoy no satisfaction from the “persecution” you receive. Your goal is supposedly to protect children, but your actions persuade no one to discontinue the actions you claim harm children. The cause Jesus lived and died for is harmed by your actions. From this point forward, may those to whom you preach through IFI be as persuaded to change for the better as you yourself are. Trust me, the more willing you are to remove the telephone poles from your eyes, the more people will trust your offers of speck removal.

Hemant and others,

I am sorry that I have not been persuasive in my conversations with Laurie. Anything I can do to help you as this goes further … I’m willing.

Heh heh.

She said “feckless.”

Dear Mr. Mehta:

As an atheist parent who is also the member of MFM polyamorous triad, I just want to thank you for being a positive member of the teaching profession who seeks for an inclusive environment for his students whether they be Christian, Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic or simply questioning. I hope that my children will find a teacher like you during their matriculation through the system. Thank you again

Heck, Hemant, just keep teaching those kids math. If the poor little critters have to learn some critical reasoning skills along the way?* It’s all good.
If you have a legal case? Pursue it. If not? Just go on doing what you do best.

* That learning of criticism might be a very frightening thing to a dogmatist. That would explain a lot.

Perhaps she learned to read and was reading Augustine and foolishly taking him seriously (and really, only a fool could take anything from Augustine seriously). From the Wikipedia:

“… the good Christian should beware of mathematicians, …. the danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.”

You should feel very fortunate that students and their parents have not been complaining about what you write here. Unfortunately, we are not all so lucky.

Just wanted to lend a little support and wish you well.

Big ol’ scary bible-belt atheist,
Becky

Maybe mean, vindictive, mentally unstable mungbats should not be allowed to have children, which would solve the problem of their kids having to be subjected to rational education.

OK, so that’s facetious. I wish that the mungbats would admit to the stupidity of their arguments, though.

Those parents should “thank god” that their kids have such a good teacher, instead of making up some hateful crap to support their superstitious prejudices.

Keep up the great work, despite the mungbats!

What you do out of the classroom is none of that woman’s business. She is poking her nose into your affairs, following the pattern one can expect from “Family Group” members. They are more or less alike all over the world.

Best wishes from Madrid (Spain).

Atheists promote hatred of chocolate ice cream and marmots, and thusly shouldn’t be allowed to be near our children.

Since ice cream and marmots self-evidently exist solely for the greater good, I must concur with her wanting you to be fired.

This so-called new atheism which promotes ice cream blasphemy like Neopolitanism, and starts sites like NotOnlyMarmots.org is proof of your evil.

You shouldn’t be a teacher because ideas like these can be passed through osmosis.

…and you need to get a job that lives up to my expectations of you instead of pretending to be a constructive member of society.

could someone please tell me how to post an avatar

Create an account at http://www.gravatar.com. You basically upload an image file and associate it with an email address. Then when you post at blogs and include your email address (which remains hidden) your avatar image is fetched and displayed.

This is a cheap, malicious, vindictive deceitful attempt by Higgins to shut down free speech and it must be resisted head-on.

Laurie Higgins and her crackpot organization are well known to the GLBT community. They have fought constantly to oppress gay people – most disgracefully, last year when they made TV commercials, effectively endorsing the bullying of gay kids with a sickening ant-Day of Silence advert.

You can read on more of that on the BoxTurtleBulletin, http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/04/17/10744

Showing solidarity from London, England.

Adrian

This kind of nut-hatchery is an incredible pain, but when there’s someone of your caliber in the hotseat, it can end up as a real positive. I assume you have a solid relationship with your administrator, yes? If s/he supports you and knows the law, let the crazy winds blow. You’ll bring credit to us all, and the non-crazy majority will learn something.

Ah, missed Ms. Higgins post here: “I have also made it abundantly clear that my goal is to provide information to District 204 parents–particularly IFI readers—about the nature of the ideas you express and endorse on your public blog so that they can make informed decisions as to whether they want their children to spend a school year under your tutelage.” However, the remark on her blog that “parents have the right not to have him as a teacher and a role model for their children” leaves that in question.

Does the school district in question have procedures for moving a child from one math class to another, simply due to personal dislike? My experience with public schools is limited, but given that there are other concerns that have higher administrative priority (making sure classes do not exceed NCLB size limits, making sure all students have a section for courses required for graduation), the additional work-load may goes beyond “reasonable accommodation”. In that sense: no, parents might NOT have the right to demand another teacher.

Another alternative for parents is to withdraw their students from public schools, and arrange home schooling or private school education. If this was the focus of the advocacy, however, I see no need for Ms. Higgins to be communicating with District officials on the topic.

Don’t feel lonely, the Illinois ‘Family’ Institute are also opposed to ‘freedom stealing’ universal health care, people who can afford and profit from health care, obviously have the right to watch other families suffer and die due to a lack of health care. Damn that must have one interesting version of the bible, either that or they are ‘er’ likely more ‘er’ atheist than you, they just like to wrap themselves in a cloak of Christianity for marketing purposes.

I second what Dave (above) writes. Just came across this and plan to immediately buy Mr. Mehta’s book, the least I can do to support someone with integrity _and_ a sense of humor. Keep it up, sir.
Bill