Kansas Teacher Wins Lawsuit Over Pronoun Dispute

In a time of rapid social change, some see progress while others feel the world is moving in the wrong direction. One such case unfolded in Kansas, where a teacher took a stand based on her personal beliefs—and ended up in a legal battle that made headlines.

Pamela Ricard, a teacher at Geary County Schools, was suspended for three days after she declined to use a transgender student’s preferred name and pronouns. Instead, Ricard referred to the biologically female student by her legal last name, using “Miss [Last Name]” as a workaround she believed was respectful and aligned with her convictions.

The issue arose after a school counselor informed Ricard that the student identified as a different gender and wished to be called by a name other than the one on school records. School officials later suspended Ricard, stating that staff are expected to make an effort to use students’ preferred pronouns.

Ricard, a devout Christian, filed a lawsuit arguing that the school’s policy violated her religious beliefs. According to the legal filing, she believes that “God created human beings as either male or female” and that a person’s sex is determined at conception and cannot be changed.

In May, a federal court ruled in Ricard’s favor, awarding her $95,000. Her attorneys said the ruling ensures she can communicate with parents in a way that doesn’t conflict with how she is required to address students at school—and that she is not required to use pronouns that contradict a student’s biological sex.

The court also struck down a district policy that had barred school staff from sharing students’ preferred names and pronouns with their parents.

As of now, the school district has not released a public statement regarding the outcome of the lawsuit.