by A California teacher who was allegedly fired for not following a policy that would have hidden children’s gender changes from their parents is speaking out and moving forward with plans to sue the Jurupa Valley Unified School District for discrimination against her Christian beliefs.
Jessica Tapia said she was unaware of state law AB 1266, that it existed, but when she found out, she refused to comply. AB 1266 was implemented in 2014 and seeks to protect students’ gender identity, according to the California Department of Education
Schools may not inform parents of their children’s gender identity without first consulting the student because the move “may violate California’s anti-discrimination law by increasing the student’s vulnerability to harassment and may violate the student’s right to student in private life’.
60% of parents registered to vote said transgender policies in schools were a problem. (Fox News Poll)
Tapia said when she learned from the school district that she was under those guidelines, she chose to “speak up about them.” “I chose to speak up for them and stand my ground and stand by my faith and my beliefs. And that’s when they said this is going to be an issue. You have to comply with these guidelines or your job is on the line.” , Tapia explained Thursday on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
“So I chose God. I chose to stay in my Christian faith. And because of that, they fired me because, in their words, ‘they couldn’t accommodate my religious beliefs.'”
Host Tucker Carlson expressed shock at the policy and wondered why parents wouldn’t want to know their children were transferring.
CALIFORNIA MOM SUES SCHOOL DISTRICT ALLEGEDLY ADVISED DAUGHTER TO TRANSGENDER
“I think parents have a right to know everything about their children. And I will not be a part of withholding any information from a parent. I’m a parent myself and I would be very upset about that,” Tapia said. “So this fight is not just for the sake of losing my job. This fight is to protect all children. This fight is to preserve parental rights.”
Jessica Tapia says she was discriminated against for her religious beliefs. (Fox News | iStock)
Tapia’s attorney, Brad Dickens, said her firing was a “clear violation of the public trust” and a “clear violation of her seven title rights.” “She was fired not because of the work she did. She was fired because of her religious beliefs,” he told Carlson.
The school district, however, in a statement to Fox News Digital denied discriminating against Tapia for her beliefs.
“The District denies the allegations raised by Ms. Tapia. The District takes seriously its obligation to respect the religious beliefs of its employees. At the same time, the District is required to comply with all local, state and federal laws, including laws and anti-discrimination laws that protect students’ privacy rights, which apply to protect the nearly 2,500 employees and 18,000 students we serve. We cannot comment further on personnel matters,” the statement read in part.
Superintendent Jurupa Unified School District (Fox News Digital | YouTube/screenshot)
Tapia added that she has been “overwhelmed” by the support she has received from other teachers who say they are willing to stand by her side.
“I’m completely overwhelmed in the best possible way with hundreds of teachers coming up to me, telling me they’re ready to die on this hill with me, that they’re totally in line with my views on this, that they’re ready to stand on this beast together me and to defend the protection of children and to defend parental rights,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“The point (is) that as Christians, we can be in the public sector. And at this point, I feel like I’ve been told you have to choose one or the other. Do you want to be a public school teacher or do you want to continue to practice your Christian faith?’
Fox News’ Hannah Grossman contributed to this report
