Pamela Ricard, a former middle school math teacher, won a $95,000 settlement after being suspended in 2021 for calling a biologically female student by their legal last name instead of their chosen first name. Ricard’s decision was based on her strong religious beliefs, and she used the student’s last name with “Miss” as a compromise.

The school district suspended Ricard, citing bullying and diversity policies, even though there were no official rules on gender pronouns at the time. Ricard had requested a religious exemption multiple times, but was denied each time.

Ricard filed a lawsuit in 2022, claiming the district violated her constitutional rights. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian law group, supported her case. Tyson Langhofer, the group’s head, stated, “No school district should force teachers to lie to parents or give up their religious beliefs.”

The settlement included $95,000, a cleared record, and a recognition of Ricard’s position. The district also removed the rule requiring teachers to withhold students’ gender choices from parents.

Josh Ney, Ricard’s lawyer, said, “Schools must not force educators to lie or punish them for following their religious beliefs.”