Staff Reports
Jessica Tapia, a former physical education teacher from California, found herself in a difficult situation when her school district required her to conceal students’ gender transitions from their parents. As a Christian, Tapia refused to comply with the policy and was ultimately terminated from her position.
Christian teacher fired for refusing to hide students' gender transitions from parents https://t.co/CRWtmH0dHU
— WND News (@worldnetdaily) February 15, 2023
Tapia conveyed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that she opposes the inclusion of biological males in female locker rooms and rejects the Jurupa Unified School District’s privacy policy that mandates teachers to conceal requests from students regarding their gender identity or preferred pronouns. In her view, demonstrating love towards others entails acknowledging and affirming their true identity, as she believes that God’s love is reflected in each person’s unique creation.
According to the 2022-2023 Student and Parent handbook of the district, transgender students are permitted to select the gender they wish to participate in sports with and utilize restrooms that correspond to their gender identity. Additionally, the notice of termination indicated that the district had verbally instructed employees to avoid divulging a transgender student’s gender identity to a parent who is unaware of their child’s gender identity.
Tapia communicated her religious concerns to the school district, but Superintendent Trenton Hansen of the Jurupa Unified School District informed Tapia that the district would not make arrangements to accommodate her Christian beliefs and that her employment would end on Jan. 31. Tapia believed it was essential to inform the district that she could not conscientiously comply with these directives as a believer.
In Tapia’s opinion, it is not right to keep parents uninformed about their children’s gender identity, and she considers it crucial for parents to participate in their children’s lives. She told the DCNF that opposing policies such as these is not just a matter of being a Christian, but as a parent, she would have been extremely upset if a teacher concealed information about her child. Hansen did not provide any comments in response to the DCNF’s inquiry.
Jessica Tapia was faced with an ethical dilemma when her school district required her to conceal students’ gender transitions from their parents. As a Christian, Tapia refused to comply with the policy and was ultimately terminated from her position. Tapia informed the Daily Caller News Foundation that she refused to permit biological males in female locker rooms and would not consent to the Jurupa Unified School District’s privacy policy, which mandated that teachers conceal requests made by students concerning their gender identity or preferred pronouns.
Tapia holds the conviction that it is incorrect to conceal information about children’s gender identity from parents and that parents’ involvement in their children’s lives is vital. She has faith that God embodies love, and the most compassionate act is to recognize and support each other in our true selves. Tapia believes that resisting these policies extends beyond a mere religious conviction and emphasizes that she would have felt immensely upset as a parent if a teacher concealed any information about her child.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Caller
