Kansas teacher Pamela Ricard recently won a significant victory in her battle for a student’s pronoun rights. She filed a lawsuit against her school district, Geary County Schools, after facing disciplinary action for refusing to use the student’s preferred pronouns.
Ricard, who teaches at Fort Riley Middle School, received reprimands and a three-day suspension for addressing a biologically female student by their legal and enrolled last name. A school counselor had informed Ricard that the student wanted to be called by a different first name and preferred to use he/him pronouns, despite being born female. However, because of her Christian beliefs, Ricard chose a compromise by referring to the student as “Miss [legal/enrolled last name].”
The lawsuit revealed that there was no specific policy in place to address this situation, yet Ricard faced suspension and reprimands under generic school district policies related to staff bullying. After her suspension, the school implemented a new policy stating that employees must use the pronouns requested by an individual.
Ricard’s lawsuit argued that this policy goes against her religious conscience, as she firmly believes that God created humans as either male or female, and this cannot be changed regardless of personal preferences.
In May, Ricard attended federal court and was awarded $95,000 in the settlement. This victory allows her to communicate with parents in compliance with her religious beliefs and continue to avoid using pronouns for students who have requested ones that do not align with their biological sex.
The court also ruled against the district’s policy of keeping students’ preferred names and pronouns confidential from their parents. The new policy prohibits staff members from disclosing this information, ensuring transparency and open communication.
Unfortunately, the school district has yet to provide any comment on the settlement, and there have been no updates regarding the current policies in place.
This case raises important questions about religious beliefs and the rights of students to express their gender identity. It emphasizes the necessity for clear policies and guidelines in schools to address these sensitive issues effectively.
