California teacher refuses to conceal students' gender choices from parents

California public school teacher Jessica Tapia was fired from her job as a physical education teacher at Jurupa Valley High School this year when she spoke out against the state law requiring schools to withhold information about students' gender choices from their parents. 

The law - AB1266 - was passed in 2014 and states that schools are not allowed to inform students' parents of their gender transitions or reveal their gender identities without students' consent. When Tapia discovered she was expected to operate under this mandate, she knew instantly that she had to push back. In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Tapia elaborates: 

I'm truly afraid that many other teachers don't know they're under these directives. I didn't know I was under these directives until I found out. And when I found out from my school district that I was under these directives, I chose to speak up about them and stand my ground and stand in my faith and beliefs, and that's when they said 'that's going to be an issue. You have to comply with these directives or your job is on the line.'

When the school district confronted Tapia about her expressed refusal to comply, she asked them, “Are you asking me to lie to parents?” She received a clear “Yes” in response.

Tapia cites her strong Christian faith as the reason behind her refusal to comply with this law: “I believe firmly that God created man and woman, and you are who He made you to be.” She states that parents have a right to know what is happening in their children's lives and that ethically she could not be a part of withholding such information from parents.

I knew immediately, like in my gut, in my heart, in my soul, that there was a decision I had to make because, you know, these two things were totally butting heads. I essentially had to pick one. Am I going to obey the district in the directive[s] that are not lining up with . . . my own beliefs, convictions, and faith? Or am I going to stay true . . . choose my faith, choose to be obedient to . . . the way the Lord has called me to live. And so it was crazy to be in the position where I realized that I couldn’t be a Christian and a teacher.

Ultimately, Tapia was informed that “the district cannot accommodate your religious beliefs that . . . prohibit you from maintaining a student’s gender identity and refraining from disclosing a student’s gender identity from his/her/their parent(s)/guardians.” Her employment at the school was terminated.

Following the incident, hundreds of teachers from across the country reached out to Tapia to offer words of solidarity. They expressed their agreement with her beliefs and willingness to stand with her for the protection of children and parental rights, and also for the right of Christians to operate equally in the public sector. 

Tapia plans to sue the school district for wrongful termination of employment. But for Tapia, the legal battle is about much more than her job:

“This fight is not just for the sake of my job loss. This fight is for the protection of all children. This fight is for the preservation of parental rights.”