A veteran youth counselor is suing a California children's home after she was suspended without pay because teenagers under her supervision overheard Christian music.

In a suit filed on Feb. 13, Maureen Loya charged Orangewood Children's Home with religious discrimination for slapping her with a six-week suspension for "exposing children to unapproved religious activities."

In July 2006, the counselor took four teenage girls from the Orangewood Children's Home on an approved field trip to the Anaheim 5K run and then to the beach.

When the group went to Huntington Beach pier, they encountered the Surfrider Foundation's Celebrity Surf Jam, which featured a surfing competition and concert as part an effort to raise awareness and support for our nation's beach and coastal environments. The event's entertainment included Christian-based music groups Incubus and Switchfoot. According to the suit, the group overheard ten minutes of Christian music as they were eating. The girls also visited booths at the pier, some of which were selling Christian items.

Following the beach outing, Loya, who has worked with the group home for 18 years, was questioned about the trip during a disciplinary meeting at the children's home.

Several months later, the same incident was brought up again and the counselor received a letter notifying her of the suspension.

In February and March 2007, Loya served her six-week suspension without pay.

The recent suit, filed in the Orange County Superior Court, asks for compensation for the missed work time and to vindicate her constitutional rights.

Loya is represented by John and Laurie Messerly Stewart, attorneys in Orange, Calif., and the Pacific Justice Institute.

"What happened to this counselor was insane and unjust," said Brad Dacus, president of California-based Pacific Justice Institute. "Allowing teenagers to overhear a few minutes of Christian music while at the beach should not result in a six-week suspension."

The Orangewood Children's Home was created by the Orangewood Children's Foundation 25 years ago with a vision to build a facility to shelter Orange County children who were the victims of abuse, neglect and abandonment, according to the organization's Web site.

**Are you kidding me? How about the influences of all the other music that was heard? Has anyone decided to fire anyone because of their exposure to hard core rap, heavy metal, or even some country music that has less than moral lyrics? Why is it that a counselor who did not arrange or try to preach to the students held accountable for something out of their control? Where does it end? And you wonder why the court system is so blogged down because of non sense like this. Not only is this act of firing this counselor despicable it is outright unlawful. But we do see the truth that atheist are at war against Christians in America and it is just going to get worse.

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. (John 15:18-21)

This is unbelievable. Yet I'm totally not surprised. Do you have a link?

http://www.topix.com/religion/christian/2009/02/teens-exposure-to-christian-music-leads-to-suspension-lawsuit

You know... I'm not religious... but this is just a load of unjust and ridiculous crap!
It is one thing if she had them in the car, with a CD of religious music blaring and MAKING them listen to it...
What should she have done? "Sorry kids, you can't eat because religious music might infiltrate your food... run kids, run!!!"
Load. of. crap.

This is just ridiculous! It's not like SHE was the one "forcing" them to listen to Christian music. And it's like Lady Bella said, it's one thing if she had them in the car listening to Christian music. They were at a public event, in a public place, mostly likely with no intention OR knowledge of what music was about to be heard. It's flat out nonsense!

I hope the Counselor wins and kicks some butt in the process.

Hey how about giving me access to your page so I can comment on your comments in my entries :)

Ummm........You're not blocked, so I have no clue how to do that. lol Other than unchecking the "block potential stalkers", which is going to REMAIN checked for reasons which I will not get into here. lol

Check your messages. :)

yeah i'm definitely not religious, but that just seems a little over the top!!! how could christian music being heard in the background affect them in a BAD way, anyway? I mean if it was music about killings and sex and all kinds of stuff like that, then I would understand. But it was innocent music.

She totally deserved that suspension.

I mean, locking those poor defenseless children in a room and blaring Christian music (that she was obviously forcing them to listen to) at full volume... wait...

She didn't do that did she..

This is a load of crap. lol

oh no! incubus! switchfoot! fucking run away!

seriously, what the hell much?

Christian music isn't that bad. What's their problem?

That is absolutely ridiculous.

GOSH, SOME CHRISTIAN MUSIC IS PRETTY DIRE! I WISH I COULD SUE MY EX FLAT MATES FOR EXPOSING ME TO IT AGAINST MY WILL! THEY'D PROBABLY SUE ME BACK FOR EXPOSING THEM TO OPERA, YO! AND GOSH, WHAT A MERRY SUING BATTLE WOULD ENSUE!

This is absolutely ridiculous. There's always ridiculous things on both sides of the religion argument. Both sides have these idiotic zealots pushing agendas... We seriously need to force people this draconian into some sort of therapy for their anger/resentment issues.

Those bands are awesome, and mainstream enough that a lot of non-Christians listen to them. This whole thing is very silly.