Nashville Charter Schools Remove Books Referencing Same-Sex Marriage
August 29, 2026, 3:27 p.m.

Tennessee law requires parental consent for teaching sexual orientation and gender identity material.

NASHVILLE, TN - First Liberty Institute has stated that KIPP Nashville schools have removed several controversial books and materials from their curriculum after former teacher and First Liberty client, Eric Rivera, objected to teaching such books due to his religious beliefs. The school agreed in March 2026 to provide reasonable religious accommodations to all staff, and now, they have eliminated books that could violate Tennessee law regarding parental consent.

“We are thrilled that KIPP Nashville voluntarily removed books that could run afoul of parents’ rights under the Constitution and Tennessee law,” said Cliff Martin, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute. “It is paramount that religious views be respected in schools.”

In February 2026, former KIPP Nashville teacher Eric Rivera was denied a religious accommodation to opt-out of teaching first-grade curriculum that violated his sincerely held religious beliefs. Specifically, he objected to two books featuring same-sex marriage. Following a demand letter from First Liberty, the school agreed to accommodate any reasonable religious requests. Further, in light of Tennessee law requiring parental consent to the teaching of sexual orientation or gender identity, KIPP Nashville proactively informed the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office that it removed substantial controversial materials, including numerous books, from its 2026-2027 curriculum in an effort to respect the religious beliefs of its staff, students, and parents.

First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.