California School District Settles $360k With Teacher Dismissed Over Transgender Policy Defiance

A Southern California school district is set to pay $360,000 to a teacher who was fired last year for refusing to follow the district’s transgender policies.

The Jurupa Unified School District settled a lawsuit from Jessica Tapia, agreeing to pay $285,000 plus $75,000 more to cover her attorneys’ fees.

Tapia filed a wrongful termination lawsuit last year, accusing the district of religious discrimination in firing her after she refused to comply with several of the district’s policies on trans-identifying students.

The district required teachers to use students’ desired pronouns, allow trans-identifying students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex, and barred them from expressing religious beliefs with students or on social media.

The district said it “continues to deny any illegal action or discrimination” against Tapia and “has not admitted any fault or wrongdoing.”

However, the district said it was settling the lawsuit “in the best interest of the students,” so the district “can continue to dedicate all of its resources and efforts to educate and support its student population regardless of their protected class.”

Tapia reacted to the settlement in a statement, saying she hopes other teachers have the confidence to “educate in truth.”

“What happened to me can happen to anybody, and I want the next teacher to know that it
is worth it to take a stand for what is right,” Tapia said in a statement after the settlement.

“Across the country, we are seeing teachers’ freedom of speech and religious liberty violated through policies that require them to forsake their morals. I want teachers to be confident in the fact that the best thing we can do for students is educate in truth, not deception.”

Tapia’s legal team with Advocates for Faith and Freedom previously criticized the district for firing Tapia over her “Christian beliefs” and celebrated the settlement.

“Today’s settlement serves as a reminder that religious freedom is protected, no matter your career,” said Julianne Fleischer, legal counsel for Advocates for Faith and Freedom. “If the school district’s actions were legal, no teacher of faith would be qualified to serve as a… pic.twitter.com/iXaIIl8Q46

— Advocates for Faith & Freedom (@advocates4faith) May 15, 2024

“Today’s settlement serves as a reminder that religious freedom is protected, no matter
your career,” said Julianne Fleischer, legal counsel for Advocates for Faith and Freedom.

“If the school district’s actions were legal, no teacher of faith would be qualified to serve as a
public school teacher. Jessica’s story is one of faithful courage. She fought back to ensure
her school district was held accountable and that no other teacher has to succumb to this
type of discrimination,” Fleischer said.

Tapia and the legal firm are now launching “Teachers Don’t Lie,” a campaign to educate teachers on their constitutional rights and how to respond to school districts that ask them to go against their religious beliefs.

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