News & Commentary

By Blake Feldman, Criminal Justice Advocacy Coordinator

Published in The New York Times via Reuters

Published in the Jackson Advocate.

By Todd Allen, Equality Advocacy Coordinator

René Hardwick says seclusion of students is “not just time out.” Photo by Imani Khayyam. JACKSON — CANTON—Volance Sanders' 13-year-old son was in his language-arts class at Nichols Middle School in the Canton Public School District where, he said, another boy kept hitting him. The boy appealed to his teacher for help, but he said the teacher dismissed his complaints, brushing off the other student's actions. So the boy kept hitting him. Finally, Sanders' son had enough. He stood up, coming face-to-face with the other boy. That's when former Nichols Middle School principal Brent Ward

The Mississippi State Legislature and Governor Phil Bryant have set Mississippi back to an era that treated some citizens as "less than" with the passage of House Bill 1523, again cloaking the state in a reputation of hate. The mounting fallout includes bans on official business travel, businesses taking a stand against the bill, and more. Take a look:

Mississippi passes anti-equality law while ignoring its dismal education system

Religious freedom is not only one of our most treasured liberties, but it is also a fundamental human right and a defining feature of our national character. Given this nation’s robust, longstanding commitment to freedom of religion and belief, it is no surprise that the United States is among the most religious and religiously diverse nations in the world. Indeed, religious liberty is alive and well in this country precisely because our government cannot tell us whether, when, where, or how to worship, and because our government cannot take sides on matters of faith.

With increasing frequency, we are seeing individuals and institutions claiming a right to discriminate—by refusing to provide services to women and LGBT people—based on religious objections. The discrimination takes many forms, including the following: