The Huffington Post apparently thinks it’s newsworthy that Karen Pence—wife of Vice President Mike Pence—has taken a teaching job at a Christian school. What’s so extraordinary about this? According to the report:
It’s not a school where everyone is welcome. In a “parent agreement” posted online, the school says it will refuse admission to students who participate in or condone homosexual activity. The 2018 employment application also makes candidates sign a pledge not to engage in homosexual activity or violate the “unique roles of male and female.”
“Moral misconduct which violates the bona fide occupational qualifications for employees includes, but is not limited to, such behaviors as the following: heterosexual activity outside of marriage (e.g., premarital sex, cohabitation, extramarital sex), homosexual or lesbian sexual activity, polygamy, transgender identity, any other violation of the unique roles of male and female, sexual harassment, use or viewing of pornographic material or websites,” says the application.
The application says that the school believes “marriage unites one man and one woman” and that “a wife is commanded to submit to her husband as the church submits to Christ.” The application asks potential employees to explain their view of the “creation/evolution debate.”
These paragraphs seem designed to scandalize readers with the backwardness of the school and therefore of Ms. Pence herself. It seems lost on the writer that these kinds of moral standards in Christian schools are common. There are countless other schools just like this one all over the country, including the one where I teach. Admission and employment policies for Christian schools vary depending on the mission of the institution, but it is anything but uncommon for Christian schools to expect their employees and students to behave like Christians. Such schools are anything but newsworthy.
The real story here is that The Huffington Post thinks this is newsworthy. But it’s not just The Huffington Post. Now the story is being picked up by outlets across the country, including The Washington Post, which features this headline: “The school that hired Karen Pence requires applicants to disavow gay marriage, trans identity.” These reports represent a point of view that is scandalized by mere Christianity and that can only view bona fide Christian piety as fanatical and anti-social. It is a sign of the times that news writers could be so cut off from the way that millions of American believe and conduct their lives. But alas, here we are.
If you want to know why so many traditional believers look with skepticism at mainstream news media, look no further than the reporting on Karen Pence’s new teaching job.
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UPDATE 1: Other news outlets are now picking up this story, and the headlines are accumulating. The vast majority reflect the cynical spin of the original Huffington Post piece. For example:
NBC News: “Karen Pence to teach at school that bans LGBTQ employees, students”
Politico: “Karen Pence to teach at school that bans gay students, parents, employees”
Newsweek: “Karen Pence Has Just Taken a Job at a School That Bans LGBT Pupils”
CNN: “Karen Pence teaching art at school that bans gay students, parents”
UPDATE 2: Vice-President Mike Pence responds to critics of his wife. Watch below.
PREVIEW — @VP @mike_pence responds to critics of @SecondLady‘s new job. “The criticism of Christian education in America should stop.” Tune in tonight for part one of my full interview with the Vice President on @EWTNNewsNightly at 7 PM EST on @EWTN. pic.twitter.com/YKEHyroswC
— Lauren Ashburn (@LaurenAshburn) January 17, 2019
