Federal Judge Sides With Conservative School District On Controversial Transgender Name And Pronoun Policy

By Vickie Ferguson | Wednesday, 12 April 2023 05:15 AM
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Federal Judge Sides With Conservative School District On Controversial Transgender Name And Pronoun Policy

Pronouns are making headlines in Indiana, where a federal judge supports the ousting of a teacher over the school’s transgender name policy for students, according to the New York Post.

Teacher John Kluge, who was Brownsburg High School’s orchestra teacher, had his case dismissed by an Indiana federal judge.

The case was brought because Kluge opted to use transgender students by their last names as a compromise for using their newly designated first names and pronouns. The school initially approved the compromise that Kluge would use the last name of all students.

The teacher’s attempt to respect the transgender students and accommodate their wishes while maintaining his rights was derailed by two transgender students stating his refusal to use their first names hurt them and singled them out in class.

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Others chimed in, including teachers, students, and counselors who reported feeling uncomfortable in Kluge’s classroom. The school changed its mind about the compromise that covered both the teacher’s and student’s concerns and instead allegedly urged Kluge to resign.

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According to court filings, Kluge did resign in 2018, but he did so only after being told he would be fired unless he complied to properly address transgender students.

With compromise no longer a viable alternative, Kluge filed suit in 2019, citing that using the District policy to use the students’ new names and pronouns was directly against his religious beliefs.

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He accused the District of workplace discrimination based on religion and sought monetary damages along with reinstatement to his teaching position.

The 7th Circuit court based in Chicago has upheld the Indiana court decision to dismiss Kluge’s case.

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Kluge argued using the alternative of last names did not put a burden on the school. The 7th Circuit court disagreed. The appeals court noted they had tried to accommodate Kluge and his religious beliefs, but using the student’s last name “resulted in students feeling disrespected, targeted, and dehumanized, and in disruptions to the learning environment."

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The court opinion continued, saying, “Brownsburg has demonstrated as a matter of law that the requested accommodation worked an undue burden on the school’s educational mission by harming transgender students and negatively impacting the learning environment for transgender students, for other students in classes and in the school generally, and for faculty."

Attorney Rory Gray is representing Kluge. Gray works for the Alliance Defending Freedom. The group is currently considering its next legal steps.

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