An Ohio elementary teacher of 30 years filed a federal lawsuit against her school district for allegedly violating her religious and moral beliefs by suspending her for having LGBTQ+-inclusive books in her classroom.The New Richmond Exempted Village School District suspended Karen Cahall for three days without pay last November after at least one parent, Kayla Shaw, complained to the school principal and board about four inappropriate books with LGBTQ+ characters in Chagalls classroom. The books were among the 100 estimated books in bins located in her classroom. Related Dr. Seuss book banned by GOP after right-wing blamed woke left for canceling him Wacky Wednesday is among more than 400 books banned in one Tennessee county. The books were the 2020 nonbinary coming of age story Ana On The Edge by A.J. Sass, the 2021 trans-inclusive treasure hunting adventure story The Fabulous Zed Watson by Basil Sylvester, the 2021 lesbian family drama Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea by Ashley Herring Blake, and the 2021 trans-inclusive ghost story Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today None of the books feature sexual content, but they all include LGBTQ+ characters who are coming to terms with feeling different and excluded, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.The parents complaint was sent to District Superintendent Tracey Miller who immediately commenced disciplinary proceedings against Cahall, her lawsuit states.Millers disciplinary letter said that Cahall knew the books were controversial and not acceptable because her earlier request to have them included in the school library was denied.You subsequently placed the books in your classroom library without putting them through the established approval process, the letter stated, accusing Cahall of intentionally doing so. Cahall, who plans on retiring in January 2025, filed a lawsuit stating that the books werent prominently displayed, werent part of her classroom lessons and werent required reading for her students.Furthermore, Cahall says her sincerely held moral and religious views believe that all children, including ones who are LGBTQ+ or have LGBTQ+ parents, deserve to be respected, accepted and loved for who they are.She acknowledges other school district community members have moral and religious views different than hers on LGBTQ+ issues. However, her lawsuit states that the Constitution forbids the government from promoting one religion or religious viewpoint against another This lawsuit seeks to test the strength of that premise in the face of increasing intolerance and prejudice against members of the LGBTQ+ community through censorship and book bans in our public schools that is motivated and guided solely by prejudice, ignorance and unfounded fear, her lawsuit states.She alleges that the school district violated her right to due process and that districts policy against controversial materials is too vague for a reasonable person to follow. She also alleges that district policy doesnt specifically govern the books a teacher may have in their classroom if theyre not teaching from them.Her lawsuit also notes that, during the 2021-2022 academic year, the district opposed two proposals: one allowing LGBTQ+-supportive teachers to signal their allyship with rainbow stickers and another allowing students to inform teachers about their personal names and pronouns. Cahall said she also made the books available to help support LGBTQ+ youth who generally experience higher rates of mental distress caused by anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. However, she denied using the books to indoctrinate students or endorse an LGBTQ+ lifestyle.She also noted that other teachers display symbols of religious belief like Christian crosses and use school district emails to promote Christian events and charities.Cahall is now suing the district, superintendent and school board members for causing economic and non-economic losses and violating her 14th and 1st Amendment rights to due process and free speech.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.