Brownsburg teacher's lawsuit over transgender students' names revived by federal appeals court

A federal appeals court revived a former Brownsburg music teacher's lawsuit that claims he was pushed out of his job because he refused to use transgender students' preferred pronouns and names.

The court switched its position after new guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court.

John Kluge said his religious beliefs prevented him from using transgender students' preferred pronouns or names. And he said his job at Brownsburg High School ended after the school wouldn't allow him to only call students by their last names, as an accommodation for his beliefs.

Both a federal district court and appeals court had sided with the school. But two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court said that an employer could only violate an employee's religious beliefs if it caused a substantial burden to the employer. That's a higher standard than previously existed under Supreme Court precedents.
 

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The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said, using that new standard, there are genuine disputes over whether the school was substantially burdened by its accommodation for Kluge's religious beliefs. And it sent the case back to the district court, saying those disputes are for a jury to decide.
 

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.