A Christian former teacher in California filed a new federal lawsuit against a public school district Wednesday, claiming she was wrongfully fired after refusing to lie to parents about their children’s gender identities.
Jessica Tapia, a former high school phys ed teacher in Riverside, California, is suing Jurupa Unified School District superintendent Trenton Hansen and Assistant Superintendent Daniel Brooks, alleging she was deprived of her free exercise of religion and freedom of speech.
The lawsuit, filed on Tapia’s behalf by Advocates for Faith & Freedom in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, also alleges a violation of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, a violation of Title VIII and retaliation in violation of the First Amendment.
Despite her two-decade involvement with the district as both a student and a teacher, Tapia was fired for alleged misconduct after the district accused her of posting offensive content on her Instagram account, referencing her faith during conversations with students and improperly expressing her opinions on issues pertaining to the LGBTQ community, the filing says.
In response to the district’s email notifying her that she had been terminated, Tapia quoted Genesis 5:2, which states, “Male and female He created them, and He blessed them and named them man when they were created.”
She also quoted Proverbs 12:22, which states, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Jurupa Unified School District for a reaction to the lawsuit Wednesday, but it did not respond.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
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