MEDFORD, Ore. – Two educators in Oregon, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom and Pacific Justice Institute attorneys, reached a favorable settlement with a school district that violated their free speech, religious freedom, and equal protection rights.

ADF CEO, President, and Chief Counsel Kristen Waggoner:  “Our nation’s foster care system is in crisis: Vulnerable children are being placed in hospitals, police stations, and institutions to help fill the gap. As numerous states have attested, religious families play a critical role in the foster-care system. Yet instead of inviting these loving parents from diverse backgrounds to help care for kids, government officials are shutting the door on them because of their commonly held religious beliefs, putting their ideological agenda ahead of the needs of suffering kids….”

ADF Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch:  “First Amendment rights don’t disappear behind school doors—whether you’re a teacher, parent, or student. For many, the choice of pronouns communicates their belief that sex is immutable, and to use pronouns or names that reflect a gender identity inconsistent with sex violates their core convictions and tells a harmful lie. Schools can’t force students who hold that belief to use other pronouns instead….”