Karen Pence Becomes Teacher At Religious School In Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, VA—Second Lady Karen Pence has taken a part-time art teacher position at Immanuel Christian School, a religious school in Springfield that takes a stance against LGBTQ lifestyles. The school currently serves kindergarten through eighth grade and will open a high school in the fall. Pence will teach art twice a week through May.

"I am excited to be back in the classroom and doing what I love to do, which is to teach art to elementary students," said Pence in a statement released by the White House.

Pence had been a teacher for 25 years before her husband became the governor of Indiana. The Second Lady's spokesperson Kara Brooks told The Washington Post Pence taught at the school for 12 years during Mike Pence's time in Congress.

The school's employment application details standards on religious beliefs and morality. The application requires applicants to affirm their belief in marriage between a man and a woman and not partake in what it calls "moral misconduct."

The pledge reads:

I will maintain a lifestyle based on biblical standards of moral conduct. 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, and sexual abuse or improprieties toward minors as defined by Scripture and federal or state law.

A parent agreement also details the school's position to " refuse admission to an applicant or to discontinue enrollment" if the students' or families activities are against the schools' standards.

"This includes, but is not limited to contumacious behavior, divisive conduct, and participating in, supporting, or condoning sexual immorality, homosexual activity or bi-sexual activity, promoting such practices, or being unable to support the moral principles of the school," the agreement reads.

Brooks told The Post "it’s absurd that her decision to teach art to children at a Christian school, and the school’s religious beliefs, are under attack."

Immanuel Christian School did not comment on the hiring of Pence to The Post.

Image via Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press