The settlement between Jackson Local School District and teacher Vivian Geraghty highlights a legal conflict surrounding the intersection of religious beliefs, free speech, and the rights of transgender students.
Geraghty, who resigned in 2022 after refusing to address two transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns, claimed that being compelled to do so violated her First Amendment rights.
A U.S. District Court ruling supported her claim, stating that forcing Geraghty to use the students’ preferred names amounted to compelled speech and that the district’s pronoun practice was not neutral.
The case involved a conflict where Geraghty, citing her religious beliefs, refused to respect the students’ gender identities, referring to them by their deadnames, which are the names assigned at birth.
The district’s response, which included meetings with school officials, eventually led to her resignation. Legal counsel representing Geraghty argued that the district failed to provide alternative solutions, such as reassignment or addressing students by their last names.
The settlement includes a $450,000 payment to Geraghty, marking the financial and legal cost of this conflict.
While the school district emphasized its commitment to student safety and well-being, the case underscores ongoing debates about the balance between personal beliefs and institutional policies regarding transgender rights in educational settings.