Kansas Teacher Who Was Punished For Refusing Transgender Pronouns Gets Temporary Restraining Order

A Kansas teacher who was suspended for refusing to use trans pronouns has successfully secured a temporary court order.

A teacher in Kansas who has filed a lawsuit against her school district over transgender policies that require them not only to use trans pronouns but hide this from parents has been grated a temporary court order from a judge. A preliminary injunction was partially granted by U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter on behalf of Pamela Ricard of Fort Riley Middle School in Kansas. It effectively prevents Geary County Schools Unified School District 475 from punishing her for referring to a student's preferred name and pronouns when communicating with trans-identified student's parents "within the regular course of her duties."

According to the Christian Post, the injunction lasts until Wednesday next week or "at the conclusion of Plaintiff's contractual responsibilities to the District, whichever is later." The court stated that the motion was issued because of the fact that the Kansas teacher does not intend to speak with a parent to disclose a student's preferred name and pronouns.

Kansas Teacher Files Lawsuit Against School District Over Transgender Pronouns

In April 2021, Ricard was suspended for three days and given a reprimand because she called a biologically female student by her legal name and used female pronouns. The Kansas teacher then filed a lawsuit against Geary County Schools Unified School District 475, naming the school district board members, Superintendent Reginald Eggleston and Fort Riley Principal Kathleen Brennan.

Judge Teeter, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, found that the Kansas teacher is "is likely to succeed on her free exercise claim for the Communication with Parent Policy" but failed to issue a preliminary injunction to Ricard's claims against the school district's transgender policy involving names nad pronouns. Moreover, the judge concluded that Ricard may be punished under the Communication with Parents Policy which prevents school faculty from informing parents that a student has requested to use a prefered name or different pronouns at school, except under certain circumstances.

Also Read: Christian Teacher Gets Suspended For Saying He Won't 'Lie' To Students About Transgenderism

Teeter added that while both parties reached a "détente" on the Preferred Names and Pronouns Policy, both are "very much at odds over the Communication with Parents Policy and the potential for disciplinary action" in the event that the Kansas teacher violates it. The policy only allows school faculty to inform parents of the student's preferred names and pronouns if the student requests the administration to do so, as per the Federal FERPA guidance."

Conservative Legal Nonprofit Defends the Kansas Teacher

Ricard is being represented by the conservative legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom based in Arizona, which has long defended high-profile religious liberty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement, ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer said that he believes that the government cannot force a person to speak "contrary to their deeply held religious beliefs and convictions."

Langhofer described Ricard as a person with a "distinguished teaching career" and an educator who treats students "with dignity and respect." As per the lawsuit, the school district and the school did not have a "formal policy" in place that required teachers to use students' preferred names and pronouns at the time the Kansas teacher was suspended.