FāVS Religion News Roundup: March 8
This week’s Roundup largely summarizes state and local government decisions and school board policies that fit our niche of ethical and social justice news. Religion stories and updates in our region? Not so much — with the exception of Carla Olman Peperzak and how WSU plans to honor her Holocaust work.
News Brief by FāVS Staff
The Holocaust Can Happen Anywhere
Carla Peperzak wants people young and old, and particularly students in Spokane and at WSU, to prevent the Holocaust from ever happening again. She does this by telling her story of what it was like to hide family members and other Jews from the Nazis.
For this, she was nominated by Raymond Sun, WSU professor of history, who specializes in Holocaust and genocide studies, for WSU’s 2024 honorary doctoral degree.
Last fall Spokane Public Schools opened Carla Olman Peperzak Middle School, and Peperzak was there for the occasion. Peperzak, who turned 100 in November, said she’s grateful for that, as well as for the WSU honor.
“It’s not about me,” she said. “It’s about the Holocaust. Hopefully people will be informed so it doesn’t happen again.”
Border Patrol Agents Barred from Schools
The Spokesman Review reported that in an unusually well-attended meeting Wednesday, the Spokane School Board unanimously revised its policy to bar Border Patrol access to schools. The revision stems from conversations with the advocacy group Latinos En Spokane, who have called for such a proposal since 2018.
The revised policy clarifies existing language by explicitly preventing staff from allowing immigration officials to enter campuses, unless the superintendent approves. It also bars staff from collaborating with immigration agencies or sharing information that could put a student’s security at risk. Immigration agents are also prohibited from being guest speakers in classrooms. The revision aims to make schools a safe space for learning, free from fear and trauma for Latino and immigrant students, who may associate Border Patrol presence with family separation and racial profiling.
BOLD Academy Registration Open
Registrations are open for the Spring 2024 BOLD Academy. BOLD stands for Building Organizing Leadership Development. The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane in partnership with local and BIPOC-led organizations will put on this five week course to build grassroots power to address racism and poverty in Spokane County.
They want to make sure those signing up know this is not racism 101. They emphasize this is not persuasion work, but activism work. To ensure participants have already begun the process of learning what to do about racism and economic injustice, they ask they take a BOLD Readiness Survey. Should those interested have a ready score, PJALS offers a preview session on March 13 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Classes will take place every Wednesday, 6-8 p.m., starting April 3.
Spokane City Council Revises Open Forum Rules, Again
This week, Spokane City Council ended their ban on standing as a form of protest or support during council meetings. This was a month after protesters threatened legal action.
In light of the on-going pro-Palestinian protests taking place since the Oct. 9 after Hamas’ attack on Israel, Spokane City Council has tried to find a way to keep the disruption of protests to a minimum. The latest had been a ban against standing at council meetings, which included turning one’s back as a form of dissent when a speaker or council member spoke. This change happened on Jan. 22.
These protests came in the wake of an Oct. 9 resolution that was passed in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that largely supported Israel and barely gave mention of support to Palestinians and the local Muslim community.
Parents Bill of Rights Passes WA Legislature
Initiative 2081, which crafts a “parents bill of rights,” will become law soon. It unanimously passed the Senate and flew through the House on an 82-15 vote, with all of the Spokane area’s delegation in support.
This initiative will grant parents of public school students the right to review classroom materials, including textbooks and curriculum, and easily access their child’s academic and medical records. Parents can also opt their children out of assignments related to the students’ sexual experiences or the family’s religious or political beliefs.
The Spokesman reported Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, said roughly 90% of these rights already exist under state or federal law, but acknowledged how confusing it can be to find and understand them. Rep. Mike Volz, R-Spokane noted how Spokane parents have recently become much more involved with their local school board races because they’re feeling “pushed out” by statewide legislation. The passing of this initiative “restrikes the balance” between parents and the state, he said.
Religious Freedom or Patient Harm? That Is the Question
Last week the Idaho Senate passed a bill (SB 1352) that would allow counselors and therapists to refuse care that conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs. Supporters argue it protects values and religious freedom, while opponents say it violates ethics and could harm patients. The bill does not require providers to refer patients to other providers. It passed 23-11, with all seven Senate Democrats and four Republicans voting against.
Supporters say it lets counselors acknowledge when they are not the best fit for a patient, but opponents worry it will lead to litigation and make entering the profession more difficult. Overall, the bill highlights divisions on whether protecting providers’ beliefs should take priority over patient access and established industry ethics standards.
