Former Public School Teacher Settles $360,000 Lawsuit Against District for Wrongful Termination Due to Religious Beliefs.
A former high school physical education teacher has reached a settlement of $360,000 with the Jurupa Unified School District after she was fired last year due to her religious beliefs. The lawsuit accused the district of wrongful termination after Ms. Tapia refused to violate her religious beliefs by complying with certain district policies.
These policies included calling a student by a pronoun that did not match their biological sex and withholding information from parents regarding their child’s gender identity. The complaint also stated that the former teacher was deprived of her rights to exercise freedom of speech and freedom of religion as protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Furthermore, the district was accused of violating California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the complaint, Ms. Tapia faced accusations of posting offensive content on her public Instagram account, referencing her faith during conversations with students, and expressing controversial opinions on issues pertaining to gender identity.
Following the district’s notice, Ms. Tapia was given a “Plan of Assistance and Directives” to follow in order to maintain her employment with the district. This plan included directives that would require her to lie to parents about their child’s gender identity, refer to students by their preferred pronouns, refrain from expressing her religious beliefs with students or on her own social media, and allow students to use the bathroom or locker room that matched their preferred sex.
Due to her closely held religious beliefs, Ms. Tapia was unable to comply with these directives and requested an accommodation, which resulted in her termination. She also stated that she has joined forces with Advocates for Faith and Freedom to launch “Teachers Don’t Lie,” a campaign designed to support teachers of faith. The campaign aims to be a resource to help educators understand their constitutional rights and how to respond when they are asked to deny their religious beliefs.