The Jurupa Unified College District violated a highschool fitness center instructor’s Christian beliefs after firing her for refusing to comply with insurance policies recognizing college students’ transgender identities, a brand new lawsuit alleges.
Jessica Tapia’s go well with, filed Wednesday, Might 3 in federal courtroom, seeks damages for what her legal professionals argue is the district’s violation of her First Modification and civil rights. Tapia was fired in January, the lawsuit states.
“Folks of religion needs to be allowed to take care of their private beliefs with out worry of shedding their job,” Mariah Gondeiro, vp and authorized counsel for Advocates for Religion & Freedom, the Murrieta legislation agency dealing with Tapia’s case, mentioned in a information launch.
Tapia “was not dismissed for any wrongdoing, somewhat, she was dismissed for her Christian beliefs,” Gondeiro mentioned. “ … We'd like extra educators like her who grasp the truth that dad and mom are companions and the ultimate arbiters of their youngsters, not obstacles to work round.”
Tapia, who has appeared on Fox Information amongst different media retailers, mentioned within the information launch: “My story is not only mine. It's the story of each instructor of ethical and religion. It's the story of each mother or father whose first precedence is defending their youngsters.”
The district has not been served with the lawsuit and “will defend in opposition to any lawsuit filed,” district spokesperson Jacqueline Paul mentioned through e mail.
Paul additionally referred to a district assertion issued in March.
“The Jurupa Unified College District is dedicated to offering all college students and employees with a discrimination and harassment-free studying setting and respects the spiritual beliefs of its college students and employees,” the assertion learn.
“The District’s actions are at all times rooted in state and federal legislation(s)” that assure college students a discrimination-free setting and “the precise to make use of amenities according to their gender identification, whatever the gender listed on their data,” the assertion learn, including that the U.S. Structure protects college students’ and staffs’ proper to privateness.
In response to the 31-page lawsuit, Tapia attended Jurupa Valley Excessive College and had been a district worker in numerous capacities since 2014 earlier than changing into the highschool’s solely feminine bodily schooling instructor in 2021.
Tapia believes God “created two sexes: female and male” and whereas she believes “all college students, no matter sexual orientation, race, or gender, needs to be handled with respect, kindness, and love … her religion precludes her from endorsing insurance policies that trigger her to reject her religion, reminiscent of facilitating a pupil’s gender transition or withholding details about it from the scholar’s dad and mom,” the lawsuit learn.
Efficiency critiques constantly gave Tapia excessive marks, and whereas she shared Bible verses and “her spiritual beliefs relating to cultural points” on her private social media, she by no means recognized herself as a district worker, nor did she share her beliefs in school, in response to the lawsuit.
Issues began with two days left within the 2021-22 faculty 12 months, when Tapia was positioned on paid administrative depart after “some points had been dropped at the District’s consideration relating to her private social media posts,” the lawsuit states.
Final July, the district “despatched Ms. Tapia quite a few, unfounded allegations,” accusing her of writing bigoted social media posts, “proselytizing throughout P.E. class” and never referring to college students by their most popular pronouns though no pupil requested her to, the lawsuit alleged.
To maintain her job, the district ordered Tapia to withhold college students’ transgender identities from dad and mom, consult with college students by their most popular gender pronouns to chorus from sharing her religion and opinions on social media and discussing spiritual beliefs with college students, the lawsuit states.
These orders “precipitated Ms. Tapia to endure extreme psychological and emotional anguish as a result of she was torn between agreeing to circumstances that precipitated her to violate her spiritual beliefs or shedding the job she labored her whole life for,” the lawsuit added.
The district refused to accommodate Tapia’s spiritual beliefs earlier than firing her, in response to the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
Tapia spoke at a March information convention exterior Jurupa Valley Excessive College by which Inland Republican Assemblymember Invoice Essayli introduced his sponsorship of AB 1314, a invoice that may require California faculties to inform dad and mom if their youngster identifies as transgender.
LGBTQ advocates mentioned the invoice endangers college students whose dad and mom may react violently if their youngster comes out as transgender. AB 1314 didn't get a listening to within the Meeting’s Schooling Committee in April.