Indiana community settles with transphobic teacher for $650,000

"After almost five and a half years, common sense has prevailed at Brownsburg. This settlement confirms what the law has always said: Public schools cannot force teachers to violate their religious beliefs. Title VII requires employers to accommodate their employees' religious beliefs and practices."

"Kluge had refused to comply with a policy, first implemented in 2017, that required teachers to use students' names in an official school database. The database included preferred names for transgender students. Initially, Kluge referred to all students by last name, but when the district said he needed to use their first names, he resigned."

Orchestra teacher John Kluge sued the Brownsburg Community School Corporation after being terminated in 2018 for refusing to comply with the district's preferred name policy implemented in 2017. The policy required teachers to use students' names from an official school database, which included preferred names for transgender students. Kluge initially used only last names but resigned when required to use first names. The conservative Alliance Defending Freedom represented Kluge and negotiated a six-figure settlement. The organization framed the settlement as affirming that public schools cannot force teachers to violate religious beliefs, citing Title VII employment protections.

Read at Advocate.com