Free Republic

The U.S. Supreme Court has been handed a bombshell: An appeal of a lower-court ruling that banned Christian counselors from talking with teens about the biblical standard for sexuality. The case challenges laws that force licensed counselors to affirm homosexuality, prohibiting them from helping clients overcome same-sex attractions. Such laws have been adopted in New Jersey, where a biased judge used it to shut down a Christian ministry, and in California and other states. The case already was presented to the Supreme Court several years ago, but it did not get a ruling. Now a new appeal has been submitted...

Masquerading as educators God only knows what might actually be acceptable when you dress up and head out to mooch candy. We already know you can’t dress in a sexy burka, and I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest David Duke won’t go over well. Anyway, if you’re a University of Florida student and someone’s Halloween costume upsets you, fret not. Or do. And as you’re fretting about oh-so-upsetting costumes that “reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions,” there are counselors waiting 24/7 to take your call: October brings fall weather and Halloween. If you...

GOP Gov. Bill Haslam cites law’s requirements for referrals, helping at-risk individuals. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a law Wednesday that allows professional counselors to use personally held principles as reasons to refuse clients and refer them on, projecting his state into the national debate over measures affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

President Barack Obama will put more "counselors" in school to help thwart gun violence. According to a background briefer provided by the White House, Obama hopes to add an additional 1,000 "school resource officers and counselors." From the White House's document: PUT UP TO 1,000 MORE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND COUNSELORS IN SCHOOLS AND HELP SCHOOLS INVEST IN SAFETY: Putting school resource officers and mental health professionals in schools can help prevent school crime and student-on-student violence. School resource officers are specially trained police officers that work in schools. When equipped with proper training and supported by evidence-based school discipline...

A defense lawyer is calling for calm after death threats have been made against teenagers charged in the death of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide after she was allegedly bullied by schoolmates. "Not to minimize what happened to Phoebe Prince in any way, but translating this into death threats and public harassment has got to stop," says Colin Keefe, who represents Sharon Chanon Velazquez, accused of tormenting Prince, who hanged herself on Jan. 14. "It's gotten way out of control," adds Keefe, who says Velazquez has been driven temporarily from her home.

Why don't we start a letter writing campaign to the court to encourage them to give solid, real sentences to these monsters and not give them a slap on the wrist? By doing that we'll ensure that justice is done.

The attorney for one of six South Hadley High School students accused of bullying Phoebe Prince in the months leading up to her suicide is asking for highly personal information about her, a move decried by a former prosecutor and victims advocates as “unconscionable.” In a six-page motion filed in Northampton Superior Court, Terrence M. Dunphy, the lawyer for Austin Renaud, asks for the names of any physicians, psychologists or rape counselors Prince saw; any medical and psychological records viewed by the prosecutor; details of any prior allegations of rape or abuse by Prince; and a statement as to whether...

A ruling by the American Counseling Association that members must not help homosexual clients change their sexual orientation is not sitting well with some in the professional organization who are seeking clarification to avoid “future legal actions.” The official policy of the ACA is that counselors asked by clients for help in changing their sexual orientation must offer only "gay affirmative" arguments. If the client persists, counselors must explore the "religious influences that underpin homophobia that may be harming the client." At issue is a ruling from the association concerning clients who seek help in clarifying their sexual orientation as...

In 1973 the United State Supreme Court created a woman's "right" to an abortion in a ruling titled, "Roe v. Wade." Many legal scholars believed the court's ruling was based on what was, at best, shaky legal ground. For example, the Constitutional right to privacy is still debated by many legal experts who say such rights are not clearly defined within the U.S. Constitution. Also, lawyers who presented the case for legalized abortion simply lied concerning statistical data they presented to the nation's highest court. It was said thousands of women had died as a result of "botched back-alley abortions"...

How many ways can you think of to make money off of students? Well, here's another. I read a report the other day where an independent college counselor in Oregon charged up to $36,000 per student to just help him get into college -- no guarantee! Holy cow! I am definitely in the wrong business. Well, I might be in the right business (education), but I am doing the wrong thing. No matter that the price of college tuition, not to mention room and board and flights back and forth for the holidays and dorm furnishings and cars and and...

Women working full-time are 29 per cent more likely to get divorced than those who stay at home and raise children. Research to be published this week in the European Sociological Review finds that the probability of divorce is in direct correlation to the number of hours a woman worked. Marilyn Stowe, a female divorce lawyer, suggested that working women had the economic freedom to consider life beyond marriage. She added that they had greater confidence in their ability to make new friends and find new partners. "You suggest going out to work to a woman who has been at...