News Of the Day – September 6th
Kansas Teacher Receives $95,000 Payout After Refusing To Use Transgender Pronouns
A Kansas school district has agreed to pay $95,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former teacher who refused to use a student’s preferred name and pronouns. Pamela Ricard, a former math teacher at Fort Riley Middle School, sued the district in March, alleging she was reprimanded and suspended for three days in April 2021 for addressing a student by their “legal and enrolled last name” instead of their preferred one. Alliance Defending Freedom represented Ricard. Attorneys for Ricard called the settlement with Geary County Schools “a victory for free speech at public schools.” Read more about the lawsuit here.
Former Prison Chaplain Sentenced For Sexually Abusing Inmate
A former prison chaplain with the Federal Bureau of Prisons was sentenced to seven years in prison for repeatedly sexually abusing a female inmate and then denying the abuse when questioned by federal agents. 50-year-old James Theodore Highhouse, also received a consecutive sentence of five years of supervised release following the completion of his prison sentence. Highhouse was a chaplain at a federal prison for female inmates. In his role, he provided spiritual counseling and oversaw worship services and religious study. In May of 2018, Highhouse began abusing a female inmate. The abuse lasted until February 2019. Read more about the charges here.
Christian Prayer And Meditation App Celebrating Reaching 100 Million Prayer Mark
Christian prayer and meditation app Hallow has just celebrated the milestone achievement of facilitating over 100 million prayers. Hallow, created by 29-year-old Alex Jones, has been downloaded over 3.75 million times from users in around 150 countries since it launched in 2018. The app also has prayers, meditations and reflections from prominent Christian celebrities like actor Mark Wahlberg, former NFL quarterback Brett Favre and Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz. Hallow is an app that gives the tools for people to slow down and put God in their daily lives, and learn what real prayer is, being in the presence of God, listening and talking with Him. Read more about the app here.
83 year Old Kidnapped Nun Released After 5 Months In Captivity
Sister Suellen Tennyson, a missionary nun from Louisianna, of the Marianites of Holy Cross, was abducted by armed radicals in the west African country Burkina Faso on April 4. According to the BBC, Tennyson was taken from a local parish in the middle of the night, leaving behind her glasses, shoes and blood pressure medication. Nearly five months later, Tennyson has been released. t is unclear what group may have abducted the nun, but several militant groups allied to al-Qaeda and Islamic State operate in the region. “We are grateful to God for the safety of Sr Suellen,” Archbishop Gregory Aymond said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. Read more about the kidnapping and release here.
