California district to pay $360K after firing Christian teacher who opposed trans pronouns policy

May 17, 2024

A California school teacher will receive a $360,000 settlement after being fired by her school district for reportedly refusing to use the preferred pronouns of trans-identified students.

According to the Christian Post, the Jurupa Unified School District agreed to a settlement with Jessica Tapia who was fired last year after refusing to follow district policies that conflicted with her religious beliefs. The policies required Tapia to use students’ preferred pronouns and to hide students’ gender identity from their parents.

Tapia was represented by Advocates for Faith and Freedom (AFF) who announced the settlement earlier this week. The school district agreed to pay Tapia $285,000 and another $75,000 for her attorneys’ fees in return for her not seeking employment within the district.

Julianne Fleischer who is legal counsel for AFF, said the settlement should serve as: “a reminder that religious freedom is protected, no matter your career. 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.”

Fleischer added, “She fought back to ensure her school district was held accountable and that no other teacher has to succumb to this type of discrimination.”

A Jurupa school district spokesman stated, “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 filed her complaint against the district in May 2023, claiming that the district’s actions violated her First Amendment rights and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which bans discrimination based on religion.

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