This California School District Will Pay Christian PE Teacher $360,000 After Firing Her for Refusing to Lie to Parents

Jessica Tapia, who taught physical education in the Jurupa Unified School District in California, believes what the Bible teaches about sexuality and bearing false witness. She refused to lie to parents about their children’s mental health.

She asked for a religious accommodation from policies that require faculty to affirm lies about “gender identity,” including hiding “transitions” and referring to students with correct pronouns in front of parents but using incorrect ones in school.

The school refused to give Tapia a religious accommodation and effectively fired her at the end of her contract.

Advocates for Faith and Freedom, Tapia’s legal counsel, filed a lawsuit on her behalf. The group announced this week that the Jurupa Unified School District has settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay Tapia $360,000.

The legal firm has started a campaign to help more teachers. From the site (emphasis added):

Advocates for Faith and Freedom and Jessica are joining forces to launch Teachers Don’t Lie, a campaign to support teachers of faith who are feeling the weight of the darkness that has infiltrated the education system. Teachers Don’t Lie aims to provide educators with a thorough understanding of their constitutional rights, as well as give options on how to respond to their school district when being asked to go against their sincerely held religious beliefs.

“What has happened to me can happen to anybody,” Tapia said. “Across the country, we are seeing teachers’ freedom of speech and religious liberty violated through policies that require them to forsake their morals. I want teachers to be confident in the fact that the best thing we can do for students is educate in truth, not deception.”

Photo credit: Advocates for Faith and Freedom

Join us in the fight for religious freedom and help spread the word. Sign up for our newsletter.