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Mike Pence says criticism of wife's job at school that bans LGBT+ students is 'deeply offensive'

Vice president claims United States has a ‘rich history’ of ‘Christian education’

Chris Riotta
New York
Friday 18 January 2019 17:12 GMT
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Mike Pence finds criticism over wife's job in school that bans gay children and teachers 'deeply offensive'

Mike Pence has defended his wife’s decision to take on a new job teaching art classes at a school that bans LGBT+ employees and students, as well as the children of gay parents.

The vice president referred to media coverage surrounding Karen Pence’s new job at Immanuel Christian School in Northern Virginia – where she previously taught elementary school classes for 12 years – as “deeply offensive”, decrying criticism of religious education in the United States.

“To see major news organisations attacking Christian education is deeply offensive to us,“ Mr Pence said in an interview with the Catholic television channel EWTN. “We have a rich tradition in America of Christian education and, frankly, religious education broadly defined.”

“We celebrate it,” he continued. “The freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.”

He added, “We’ll let the other critics roll off our back, but this criticism of Christian education in America should stop.”

Ms Pence’s new role at the elementary school drew a fierce online backlash this week, with reports revealing the school requires potential employees to sign a pledge affirming they will not “engage in homosexual activity or violate the unique roles of male and female”, HuffPost reported on Tuesday.

The second lady previously worked at Immanuel Christian School for 12 years and her daughter, Charlotte Pence, attended the school as a child.

“Mrs Pence has returned to the school where she previously taught for 12 years,“ her spokesperson, Kara Brooks, said in a statement. “It’s absurd that her decision to teach art to children at a Christian school, and the school’s religious beliefs, are under attack.”

Mr Pence has long espoused a hardline view on religious freedoms and marriage, suggesting a traditional union can only exist between a man and woman while passing bills as governor like a “religious freedom law”, which was criticised for allowing Christian business to allegedly discriminate against the LGBT+ community.

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In a statement announcing her decision to go back to the school, Ms Pence said: “I am excited to be back in the classroom and doing what I love to do, which is to teach art to elementary students.

“I have missed art, and it’s great to return to the school where I taught art for 12 years.”

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