Federal court rules that Christian teacher has to follow the rules & use trans kids' pronouns - LGBTQ Nation

"As the Washington Post reports, last Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld a lower court decision dismissing a former Montgomery County Public Schools substitute teacher's claims that the district's policy violated her constitutional rights to free speech and freedom of religion by requiring her to refer to trans and nonbinary students by names and pronouns that align with their gender identity."

"The case concerned Kimberly Polk, who, according to the Post, began working as a substitute teacher with Montgomery County schools in 2021. Polk objected to the district's name and pronoun policy on religious grounds, citing "her understanding of her Christian religion and the Holy Bible." So she requested a religious accommodation. When her request was denied, Polk stopped teaching and in 2024 sued the district, claiming that its policy violated her rights under the First Amendment."

"But a lower court denied Polk's request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed her to teach in elementary schools with no trans students while her case played out, and dismissed the majority of her claims. According to the Post, the court ruled that as an employee of Montgomery County Public Schools, Polk had been hired by the school board to speak on its behalf."

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling that dismissed most claims by a substitute teacher who objected to a school district's name-and-pronoun policy on religious grounds. The substitute, Kimberly Polk, began working for Montgomery County Public Schools in 2021 and sought a religious accommodation after citing her Christian beliefs. Her accommodation request was denied, she stopped teaching, and she sued in 2024 alleging violations of free speech and religious freedom. A lower court denied a preliminary injunction and found Polk had been hired to speak on behalf of the school board; the appellate panel agreed that complying with the policy was part of her job.

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