A California school district has agreed to pay $360,000 in settlement to a former Christian teacher who was fired for hiding a student’s “gender identity” from parents and refusing to use the student’s preferred pronouns. .
This week, the Jurupa Unified School District Board approved a settlement between former high school physical education teacher Jessica Tapia and lawyers for Faith and Freedom Defenders. announced.Tapia filed a lawsuit against The school district established her last year after the district refused to provide religious accommodations to transgender policies and ultimately fired her.
“Today’s settlement is a reminder that religious freedom is protected, no matter your career path.” Said Julian Fleischer, general counsel for Faith and Freedom Defenders; “If the school district’s actions were legal, a teacher of faith would not be qualified to serve as a public school teacher. Jessica’s story is one of faithful courage. She holds her district accountable and holds others accountable. We fought back to ensure that no teacher succumbed to this type of discrimination.”
According to the lawsuit, the troubles with the school district began after students noticed Tapia posting on social media about a variety of topics with conservative and Christian viewpoints. Tapia’s social media made no mention of where she worked, her complaint states. Her students eventually reported her posts to her district, which ended up putting her on paid administrative leave.
The school district accused her of “posting offensive content on her public Instagram account, mentioning her faith in conversations with students, and expressing controversial opinions on issues related to gender identity,” the suit says. .
In several subsequent meetings, the school district told Tapia that she would not use the students’ preferred pronouns, that she would “lie to parents about their child’s gender identity,” and that she would not “express religious beliefs with students or in public.” Tapia was given instructions on how to advocate for transgender people, including “refraining from sexual harassment.” The complaint alleges that the school uses “media” to allow students to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their preferred gender.
The complaint states that Tapia, a Christian, “believes that God defined human sexuality and that men and women were created in God’s image.”
“Her religion believes that God created two genders, male and female. As a result of her faith, Ms. Tapia believes that all students, regardless of sexual orientation, race, or gender, are treated with respect, kindness, and kindness.” I also believe that people should be treated with love,” the complaint continues. “However, her faith prevents her from supporting policies that would cause her to reject her faith, such as promoting gender transition for her students or withholding information about gender transition from her students’ parents.” ”
Ultimately, Tapia told the district that she could not follow these instructions and requested religious accommodations. The district refused to provide her with accommodations and terminated her employment, according to the complaint.
In her complaint, Tapia alleges that the school district violates her First Amendment rights to free exercise and free speech, as well as her rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion. he claimed.
“The school district fired her specifically because of her religious beliefs,” Fleischer said. Said Fox News Digital.
She continued:
What we’re seeing with these kinds of directives, as school districts across the country implement various transgender policies and threaten teachers and educators with firings, is a kind of religious ordeal…because… Because that’s essentially what they’re saying. You must belong to our own religion, otherwise you are not qualified to work as a public school teacher. Therefore, Jessica’s religious beliefs become secondary to the school district’s ideology related to transgender and transgender policies.
“What the district has done and this type of testing essentially makes faith teachers unqualified to serve in public schools,” she added.
“What happened to me could happen to anyone,” Tapia said in a statement.
“[A]And I want the next teacher to know that it’s worth standing up for what’s right,” Tapia said. He said. “Across the country, we are seeing the free speech and religious freedom of teachers being violated by policies that require teachers to abandon their morals. Teachers are being asked to do the best they can for their students. , I want you to have confidence in the fact that we are educating the truth, not deception.”
“This is why I partnered with faith and freedom organizations to launch Teachers Don’t Lie, a resource dedicated to giving teachers an authentic voice. “I am confident that we are making progress to ensure that no teacher ever becomes a child again,” she continued.
“While this settlement is not a victory for Ms. Tapia, it does compromise the disputed claims,” Jurupa Unified School District said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“MS. We agree and understand that Ms. Tapia is no longer an employee of the district and cannot seek re-employment with the district,” a district spokesperson said. “This settlement does not state or prove any wrongdoing or discrimination by the school district. The school district continues to deny any wrongdoing or discrimination against Ms. Tapia.”
A spokesperson emphasized that the school district does not admit any wrongdoing in entering into the settlement.
The decision to resolve this lawsuit was made in cooperation with the district’s self-insurance authority and in the best interests of the students, and the district is committed to educating and supporting students regardless of the district’s circumstances. You can continue to put all your resources and efforts into protected class. Jurupa Unified School District remains committed to providing a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students. The District continues to follow all local, state, and federal laws, including laws prohibiting harassment and discrimination, to protect our students and employees.
The case is Tapia vs. Jurupa Unified School DistrictU.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 5:23-cv-789.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her at @thekat_Hamilton.
