The instructor felt that this compromise honored the student’s religious beliefs as well as her identity. Though there were no official rules about gender pronouns at the time, the district suspended her under its “bullying and diversity and inclusion policies.”
The Christian instructor, frustrated by the lack of accommodations for her views, repeatedly requested and was refused a religious exemption. She claimed in a 2022 federal lawsuit that the Geary County School.
District had infringed upon her constitutional rights, which include due process, free expression, and the ability to practice her religion. According to the complaint,
Instructors were also reportedly told to keep a student’s chosen name and pronouns hidden from parents upon request. Tyson Langhofer, director of the Alliance Defending Freedom,
A conservative Christian legal organization that backed Ricard’s case, said that no school board should have instructors violate their religious beliefs or lie to parents.
