School district pays thousands to settle with teacher fired for not using preferred pronouns

A Wisconsin instructor has reached a settlement together with his former college district after dealing with termination resulting from his non secular objection to referring to trans-identified college students by their most well-liked names and pronouns. 

The Wisconsin Institute for Regulation and Liberty introduced Monday that the Argyle Faculty District has agreed to pay a $20,000 settlement to Jordan Cernek. The instructor was fired in Could 2023 for opposing a requirement that each one district workers use the popular names and pronouns of trans-identified college students.

The legislation agency filed a lawsuit on Cernek’s behalf in July 2024, alleging that his termination violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the First Modification to the U.S. Structure and Article I, Part 18 of the Wisconsin Structure. 

The settlement brings the litigation towards the college district to an in depth. 

“To keep away from appearing opposite to his non secular convictions, Mr. Cernek made the District conscious of his non secular objection to this requirement and agreed to not use any names when referring to college students,” the WILL announcement reads. “However finally, the District warned him that refusing to consult with college students by most well-liked names and pronouns would lead to disciplinary motion as much as and together with termination. Six months later, the District stored its promise and didn’t renew Mr. Cernek’s educating contract.”

Cernek contends the district tried to coerce him into betraying his “non secular convictions and dedication to God.”

“I’m grateful that there was some decision to this matter and can proceed to encourage academics to face up for his or her beliefs,” Cernek mentioned response to the settlement.

Wisconsin Institute for Regulation and Liberty Affiliate Counsel Nathalie Burmeister mentioned non secular freedom is a “core liberty that our nation and state have been based upon.”

“Jordan’s victory is essential to advancing the reason for non secular freedom throughout the nation,” Burmeister mentioned. 

Cernek is one in every of a number of academics who’ve confronted skilled repercussions for declining to make use of the popular names and pronouns of trans-identified college students resulting from non secular objections.

In 2021, Kansas math instructor Pamela Ricard, a religious Christian who “holds honest non secular beliefs per the standard Christian and biblical understanding of the human individual and organic intercourse,” was suspended for calling a trans-identified feminine scholar by her given title and addressing her with feminine pronouns. 

Ricard reached a $95,000 authorized settlement together with her college district in 2022.

In Virginia, French instructor Peter Vlaming was fired as a result of he declined to make use of a male title and pronouns to handle a feminine scholar due to related non secular beliefs about gender and sexuality. Vlaming reached a $575,000 settlement together with his former college district final yr that additionally awarded him legal professional’s charges and the elimination of termination from his report. 

A number of states have handed legal guidelines defending academics who don’t want to consult with trans-identified college students by their most well-liked names and pronouns. Wyoming enacted laws designed to guard all state staff final month, whereas a measure applied in Idaho final yr particularly mentions public college academics.