JURUPA VALLEY, Calif. (CITC) — A California school district settled a $360,000 lawsuit Monday after it fired a teacher following her refusal to follow district policy, which included using a student’s preferred pronouns, according to the law firm Advocates for Faith and Freedom.
In 2023, Jessica Tapia filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District (JUSD), arguing she was dismissed by the school in 2022 over her Christian faith. Those beliefs, she said, conflicted with school policies requiring students’ gender identities.
The directives required Ms. Tapia lie to parents about their children’s gender identity, refer to students by their preferred pronouns, refrain from expressing her religious beliefs with students or on her social media, and allow students to use the bathroom or locker room that matched their preferred sex,” the lawsuit reads. “Because Ms. Tapia was unable to comply with the directives due to her religious beliefs, she requested an accommodation from the District. JUSD refused to provide her with any accommodation and subsequently terminated her employment with the District.”JUSD agreed to settle the complaint, but told Crisis in the Classroom via email “this settlement is not a win for Ms. Tapia but is in compromise of a disputed claim.”
“The settlement certainly does not state or prove any illegal action or discrimination by the District,” a spokesperson said. “The District continues to deny any illegal action or discrimination against Ms. Tapia. As is clear from the settlement agreement, the District has not admitted any fault or wrongdoing against Ms. Tapia.”
Tapia is now launching “Teachers Don’t Lie,” a program to “provide ongoing support and legal help to teachers.”
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The settlement is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding teachers refusing to use students' preferred pronouns. A Pennsylvania teacher was placed on leave in 2022 after choosing not to comply with the South Side School District's preferred pronouns policy.
Wichita Public Schools told teachers in a training document last year that failing to use students' preferred pronouns "could lead to death." The training went on to claim teachers should "respect" students by using their preferred pronouns even against their parents' wishes.
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