Christian Music Teacher Sues Over School's Transgender Policy

A former music teacher in a Brownsburg, Indiana school has sued the school claiming failure to accommodate his religious beliefs as required by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as well as violation of his 1st and 14th Amendment rights.  The complaint (full text) in Kluge v. Brownsburg Community School Corp., (SD IN, filed 6/18.2019), alleges that plaintiff, John Kluge, is a Christian whose religious beliefs include the belief that it is sinful to promote transgender behavior. He was forced to resign because of his refusal to comply with school policy requiring that he use transgender students' preferred names. For a while the school provided an accommodation that allowed him to address all students only by their last names, but that concession was then withdrawn. The suit seeks an injunction to bar enforcement of the school's policy, as well as back pay for plaintiff. Indiana Lawyer reports on the lawsuit.