Teacher Suspended For Refusing Preferred Pronouns Wins Significant Award

In recent times, there have been notable shifts in the world. While some perceive these changes as progress, others see them as a significant regression.

One such individual is Pamela Richard, a teacher from Kansas who took a stand for her beliefs, despite facing the possibility of suspension. Employed at Geary County Schools in Kansas at the time, Richard was suspended for three days for refusing to use a preferred pronoun for one of her students.

Richard succinctly describes the situation, stating she was suspended "for addressing a biologically female student by the student's legal and enrolled last name."

Prior to this incident, a school counselor informed her that a student preferred to use a different first name than their legal one and wished to be referred to by a different gender. This student was assigned female at birth.

In an attempt to respect the student's wishes while also adhering to her own beliefs, Richard chose to refer to the student as "Miss [legal/enrolled last name]." However, this compromise was not deemed satisfactory.

Subsequently, Richard was suspended, with the explanation that "employees should be aware and make an effort to utilize the pronouns an individual requests to be identified by."

The ensuing lawsuit stemmed from the policy's infringement on her conscience.

"Ms. Richard is a Christian and holds sincere religious beliefs consistent with the traditional Christian and biblical understanding of the human person and biological sex," the lawsuit asserted. "Ms. Richard believes that God created human beings as either male or female, that this sex is fixed in each person from the moment of conception, and that it cannot be changed, regardless of an individual person's feelings, desires, or preferences."

Richard took her case to federal court in May and was awarded $95,000. Her attorney affirmed that she was "free to speak without violating her conscience by communicating with parents in a manner consistent with how she is required to address the students at school."

Furthermore, Richard was permitted to abstain from using pronouns for students that did not align with their biological sex. The court ruled against the policy that prohibited staff members from disclosing students' preferred names or pronouns to their parents.

Since the lawsuit, there have been no public statements from the school.