Latest news with #FirstLiberty
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Long Island village walloped by insane 87% property tax hike as locals blame office goof
A Long Island suburb voted to wallop homeowners with a 87% property tax hike— with local officials saying the insane increase was necessary because of a years-long administrative goof. Atlantic Beach's village board of trustees told residents the big number was needed because of how taxes were assessed by the county in recent decades but officials refused to give The Post further information or answer any questions. The Nassau County assessor said it was the village government that was improperly billing commercial properties. 'Nassau County is not responsible for the Village of Atlantic Beach budget or tax levy, nor do we calculate, bill, collect or distribute village taxes,' Assessor Joseph Adamo said. Though village officials blamed assessment quirks, some residents said part of the hike is to cover more than $500,000 in legal fees in an ongoing legal battle with The Chabad of the Beaches, a Jewish organization claiming the village discriminated against it. 'I wouldn't mind paying more taxes if they would fix the damn boardwalk or do something about the roads that have been a mess since Hurricane Sandy. It's really not fair, the mayor and the trustees, they're the ones who should be paying out of their pockets for the lawsuit — not taxpayers, we shouldn't be footing the bill for their antisemitism,' said one resident, who asked not to be identified in fear of retaliation from the mayor. The Chabad of the Beaches purchased a former Capital One bank in November 2021 for $950,000 to offer religious services and programming for the broader Jewish community in Atlantic Beach. But when village leaders learned of the plan, they quickly moved to block it by announcing they'd seize the site through eminent domain — the government process of taking over private property for public use. The village has largely been on the losing end of court decisions after it announced it would it to build a village-run community center for lifeguard operations at the site. First Liberty, a legal organization representing The Chabad, railed against the village government. 'It's time for Village officials to stop targeting Chabad of the Beaches and leave this community alone so they can worship in peace,' First Liberty said in a statement. Residents are planning to attend the next board of trustees meeting to demand answers and accountability.
New York Post
08-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Long Island village walloped by insane 87% property tax hike as locals blame office goof
A Long Island suburb voted to wallop homeowners with a 87% property tax hike— with local officials saying the insane increase was necessary because of a years-long administrative goof. Atlantic Beach's village board of trustees told residents the big number was needed because of how taxes were assessed by the county in recent decades but officials refused to give The Post further information or answer any questions. The Nassau County assessor said it was the village government that was improperly billing commercial properties. Advertisement Atlantic Beach voted to wallop homeowners with a 87% property tax hike. littleny – 'Nassau County is not responsible for the Village of Atlantic Beach budget or tax levy, nor do we calculate, bill, collect or distribute village taxes,' Assessor Joseph Adamo said. Though village officials blamed assessment quirks, some residents said part of the hike is to cover more than $500,000 in legal fees in an ongoing legal battle with The Chabad of the Beaches, a Jewish organization claiming the village discriminated against it. Advertisement 'I wouldn't mind paying more taxes if they would fix the damn boardwalk or do something about the roads that have been a mess since Hurricane Sandy. It's really not fair, the mayor and the trustees, they're the ones who should be paying out of their pockets for the lawsuit — not taxpayers, we shouldn't be footing the bill for their antisemitism,' said one resident, who asked not to be identified in fear of retaliation from the mayor. The Chabad of the Beaches purchased a former Capital One bank in November 2021 for $950,000 to offer religious services and programming for the broader Jewish community in Atlantic Beach. The Long Island suburb's board of trustees told residents the increase was needed, and when contacted by The Post, refused to answer questions regarding the tax hike. Village of Atlantic Beach But when village leaders learned of the plan, they quickly moved to block it by announcing they'd seize the site through eminent domain — the government process of taking over private property for public use. Advertisement The village has largely been on the losing end of court decisions after it announced it would it to build a village-run community center for lifeguard operations at the site. First Liberty, a legal organization representing The Chabad, railed against the village government. 'It's time for Village officials to stop targeting Chabad of the Beaches and leave this community alone so they can worship in peace,' First Liberty said in a statement. Residents are planning to attend the next board of trustees meeting to demand answers and accountability.
New York Post
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
School retracts telling students they can't sing worship songs at talent show
A Michigan elementary school has backed down after initially telling two Christian students they couldn't perform worship songs at an upcoming school talent show. 'Upon review, it was determined that school staff were unfamiliar with the legal guidelines concerning religious expression in a public school setting,' Allegan Public Schools Superintendent James Antoine wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. 'Religious songs have been, and will continue to be, allowed at school events like talent shows.' According to legal group First Liberty Institute, two students at West Ward Elementary School, who are siblings, were told by school officials on Tuesday that they could not perform their chosen songs, 'That's Who I Praise' by Brandon Lake, and 'Up and Up' by Colton Dixon, because the lyrics were too religious. West Ward teacher Penny Bishop reportedly told the students' mother that one song was too 'Christian-based' and would violate the separation of church and state. The school principal, Molly Carl, also said the song could cause problems because 'there's some very clear language about worshiping God' and she raised issue with Lake's lyrics that mentioned no longer being 'slaves,' in reference to the Israelites leaving Egypt in the biblical account from the book of Exodus. 3 Two students at West Ward Elementary School, who are siblings, were told by school officials that they could not perform their chosen songs because the lyrics were too religious. Google Maps Carl also reportedly confronted one of the students about her song choice after a meeting with her parent, telling the student that 'not everyone believes in God.' According to First Liberty, Carl approved the songs ahead of auditions on Thursday but told one student that his song would need to be 'adjustable' to a more 'acceptable option' if he chose to perform it at the May 23 talent show. The legal group sent a letter to the elementary school on Wednesday warning them they could be violating the students' First Amendment rights. 3 One of the songs selected was by Brandon Lake. Getty Images for Stagecoach First Liberty asked the school to assure them by 3:00 p.m. on Friday that both students, who are brother and sister, would be able to participate in the talent show 'on an equal basis with their classmates using their chosen songs.' The school responded on Thursday by assuring the legal group that students would be allowed to choose songs with religious lyrics for the talent show. School staff had been 'unfamiliar' with the legal protections for religious expression in public schools, the district said. 'To clarify: students are permitted to perform songs of their choice, including those with religious content, provided the material complies with the student code of conduct – particularly regarding language and theme,' the Allegan Public Schools statement read. 'We are pleased to report that this matter was resolved quickly. The student was given the opportunity to audition and will be performing in the upcoming talent show.' 3 The school responded by assuring the legal group that students would be allowed to choose songs with religious lyrics for the talent show and had been 'unfamiliar' with the legal protections for religious expression in public schools. Pcess609 – 'We are also reviewing our internal communication processes to ensure that similar matters are appropriately reviewed before decisions are communicated to students or families. We regret any confusion or frustration this situation may have caused and remain committed to supporting our students' diverse talents,' the statement continued. First Liberty counsel Kayla Toney said they were 'grateful' for the school's quick response to their letter that recognized the students' religious rights. The legal group recommended the school complete a staff training program that helps public schools learn to 'protect and promote religious freedom for all students.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elementary school backs down after telling Christian students they couldn't sing worship songs at talent show
A Michigan elementary school has backed down after initially telling two Christian students they couldn't perform worship songs at an upcoming school talent show. "Upon review, it was determined that school staff were unfamiliar with the legal guidelines concerning religious expression in a public school setting," Allegan Public Schools Superintendent James Antoine wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "Religious songs have been, and will continue to be, allowed at school events like talent shows." According to legal group First Liberty Institute, two students at West Ward Elementary School, who are siblings, were told by school officials on Tuesday that they could not perform their chosen songs, "That's Who I Praise" by Brandon Lake, and "Up and Up" by Colton Dixon, because the lyrics were too religious. West Ward teacher Penny Bishop reportedly told the students' mother that one song was too "Christian-based" and would violate the separation of church and state. The school principal, Molly Carl, also said the song could cause problems because "there's some very clear language about worshiping God" and she raised issue with Lake's lyrics that mentioned no longer being "slaves," in reference to the Israelites leaving Egypt in the biblical account from the book of Exodus. Christian Family Says School District Won't Allow Daughter To Graduate Over Mandatory Lgbtq Health Class Carl also reportedly confronted one of the students about her song choice after a meeting with her parent, telling the student that "not everyone believes in God." Read On The Fox News App According to First Liberty, Carl approved the songs ahead of auditions on Thursday but told one student that his song would need to be "adjustable" to a more "acceptable option" if he chose to perform it at the May 23 talent show. The legal group sent a letter to the elementary school on Wednesday warning them they could be violating the students' First Amendment rights. First Liberty asked the school to assure them by 3:00 p.m. on Friday that both students, who are brother and sister, would be able to participate in the talent show "on an equal basis with their classmates using their chosen songs." 'Bad For Parents': School Choice Supporters Protest Exclusion Of Religious Charter In Supreme Court Case The school responded on Thursday by assuring the legal group that students would be allowed to choose songs with religious lyrics for the talent show. School staff had been "unfamiliar" with the legal protections for religious expression in public schools, the district said. "To clarify: students are permitted to perform songs of their choice, including those with religious content, provided the material complies with the student code of conduct – particularly regarding language and theme," the Allegan Public Schools statement read. "We are pleased to report that this matter was resolved quickly. The student was given the opportunity to audition and will be performing in the upcoming talent show." "We are also reviewing our internal communication processes to ensure that similar matters are appropriately reviewed before decisions are communicated to students or families. We regret any confusion or frustration this situation may have caused and remain committed to supporting our students' diverse talents," the statement continued. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture First Liberty counsel Kayla Toney said they were "grateful" for the school's quick response to their letter that recognized the students' religious rights. The legal group recommended the school complete a staff training program that helps public schools learn to "protect and promote religious freedom for all students."Original article source: Elementary school backs down after telling Christian students they couldn't sing worship songs at talent show
Fox News
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Elementary school backs down after telling Christian students they couldn't sing worship songs at talent show
A Michigan elementary school has backed down after initially telling two Christian students they couldn't perform worship songs at an upcoming school talent show. "Upon review, it was determined that school staff were unfamiliar with the legal guidelines concerning religious expression in a public school setting," Allegan Public Schools Superintendent James Antoine wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "Religious songs have been, and will continue to be, allowed at school events like talent shows." According to legal group First Liberty Institute, two students at West Ward Elementary School, who are siblings, were told by school officials on Tuesday that they could not perform their chosen songs, "That's Who I Praise" by Brandon Lake, and "Up and Up" by Colton Dixon, because the lyrics were too religious. West Ward teacher Penny Bishop reportedly told the students' mother that one song was too "Christian-based" and would violate the separation of church and state. The school principal, Molly Carl, also said the song could cause problems because "there's some very clear language about worshiping God" and she raised issue with Lake's lyrics that mentioned no longer being "slaves," in reference to the Israelites leaving Egypt in the biblical account from the book of Exodus. Carl also reportedly confronted one of the students about her song choice after a meeting with her parent, telling the student that "not everyone believes in God." According to First Liberty, Carl approved the songs ahead of auditions on Thursday but told one student that his song would need to be "adjustable" to a more "acceptable option" if he chose to perform it at the May 23 talent show. The legal group sent a letter to the elementary school on Wednesday warning them they could be violating the students' First Amendment rights. First Liberty asked the school to assure them by 3:00 p.m. on Friday that both students, who are brother and sister, would be able to participate in the talent show "on an equal basis with their classmates using their chosen songs." The school responded on Thursday by assuring the legal group that students would be allowed to choose songs with religious lyrics for the talent show. School staff had been "unfamiliar" with the legal protections for religious expression in public schools, the district said. "To clarify: students are permitted to perform songs of their choice, including those with religious content, provided the material complies with the student code of conduct – particularly regarding language and theme," the Allegan Public Schools statement read. "We are pleased to report that this matter was resolved quickly. The student was given the opportunity to audition and will be performing in the upcoming talent show." "We are also reviewing our internal communication processes to ensure that similar matters are appropriately reviewed before decisions are communicated to students or families. We regret any confusion or frustration this situation may have caused and remain committed to supporting our students' diverse talents," the statement continued. First Liberty counsel Kayla Toney said they were "grateful" for the school's quick response to their letter that recognized the students' religious rights. The legal group recommended the school complete a staff training program that helps public schools learn to "protect and promote religious freedom for all students."
