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A U.S. appeals court has ruled that an Indiana high school did not break the law by allegedly forcing a music teacher to resign after he refused to use transgender students’ preferred names on religious grounds. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the teacher’s religious beliefs outweighed the potential disruption his conduct could have on the learning environment.
John Kluge, the music teacher, said that his Christian religious beliefs barred him from complying with a school policy requiring faculty to use students’ preferred names and pronouns. Initially, the school allowed Kluge to call students by their last names but later reneged after receiving complaints from students and faculty. He resigned in 2018 after being told he would be fired.
Kluge sued the school district in 2019, accusing it of violating a federal law prohibiting workplace discrimination based on religion. He was seeking to get his job back and for unspecified monetary damages. However, the 7th Circuit has upheld an Indiana federal judge’s ruling that dismissed the case.
The court ruling stated that Kluge’s last-name-only practice stigmatized the transgender students and caused them demonstrable emotional harm. The school’s policy requires faculty to use students’ preferred names and pronouns to support transgender students’ inclusion and avoid marginalizing them.
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The court held that the teacher’s rights to exercise his religious beliefs outweighed the potential disruption his conduct could have on the learning environment. Federal law only requires employers to accommodate workers’ religious beliefs if it would not cause undue hardship. Kluge argued that allowing him to call students by their last names would not burden the school. However, the court disagreed and upheld the lower court’s ruling.
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The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group, represents Kluge. A lawyer with the group said that he was evaluating Kluge’s options. The group has advocated for a change in the standard for accommodating religious employees.
In a dissenting opinion, Circuit Judge Michael Brennan said whether the school could have mitigated any disruptions from Kluge’s conduct was unclear. He stated that a jury should decide whether Kluge’s rights were violated.
The court’s ruling has sparked debate and raised questions about the balance between protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and respecting religious beliefs. The case highlights the tension between religious freedom and nondiscrimination policies in the workplace.
It is important to note that the court’s decision does not set a legal precedent as it is only binding in the states covered by the 7th Circuit, which includes Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. However, the ruling could still have implications for similar cases in other parts of the country.
The court’s decision has upheld the school’s policy requiring faculty to use students’ preferred names and pronouns to support transgender students’ inclusion and avoid marginalizing them. The ruling has also shown that the rights of the LGBTQ+ community to a safe and inclusive learning environment can outweigh an individual’s religious beliefs in certain circumstances.
