“The school tried to force Vivian to accept and repeat the school’s viewpoint on issues that go to the foundation of morality and human identity, like what makes us male or female, by ordering her to personally participate in the social transition of her students,” stated Logan Spena, legal counsel for ADF. “The First Amendment prohibits that abuse of power, and Jackson Local School District officials have learned that comes at a steep cost.”
Spena further explained how Geragty stood firm in her faith despite the unconstitutional pressure to cooperate with the social transitioning of the students “Vivian resisted this unconstitutional demand and explained that her Christian faith made her unable to participate in her students’ social transition, and she has received just vindication for taking this stand,” she said.
A press relief posted on the ADF’s website expounded on the violation of Geraghty’s faith and freedom of speech. “After a school official instructed Vivian to participate in the social transitions of her students, she went to the principal to voice her concerns, hoping for a collaborative discussion. Instead, she experienced a blatant violation of her First Amendment rights,” it read.
Shedding light on the details, the statement continued, “In August 2022, two of Vivian’s students requested that she call them by names that were inconsistent with their sex and were different than their legal names. A school counselor sent an email to Vivian and several other teachers instructing them to go along with the students’ requests and personally facilitate their social transition. For Vivian, this would mean directly contradicting her own religious beliefs about what it means to be male and female—beliefs rooted not just in her Christian faith, but also in biological reality.”
The ADF continued, explaining how the school forced Geraghty out of her position, writing, “The school officials violated the First Amendment and refused to work with Vivian at all. They told her that if she would not participate in the social transition of her students, her only option was to resign. Within two hours of the time Vivian expressed her concern about the policy, they handed her a laptop and ordered her to resign. Then they escorted her out of the building.”
Celebrating the victory for the First Amendment, the legal group said, “In December 2024, ADF attorneys reached a favorable settlement for Vivian. The school district agreed to pay Vivian $450,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees after violating her right to free speech. Schools can’t force teachers to set their religious beliefs aside in order to keep their jobs. Teachers should be able to live and work freely without being forced to speak in ways that violate their beliefs.”
Watch Sen. John Kennedy Blast Biden-Appointed Judge Over Pronoun Request:
