Judge: Teachers in Escondido transgender lawsuit can work
Two Rincon Middle school teachers, Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West, have won a court case allowing them to return to their classrooms, after challenging the Escondido Union Elementary district’s policy prohibiting disclosure of a student’s transgender identity to parents without the student’s consent. The teachers, who identify as Catholic and Christian, argued that the policy forced them to deceive parents, conflicting with their religious beliefs. In September, Judge Robert Benitez temporarily blocked the district from enforcing the policy, ruling in favor of the plaintiffs and stating that the policy contradicted parents’ Fourteenth Amendment rights to raise and care for their children. He also supported the teachers’ argument that the policy necessitated violation of their religious beliefs. Despite these developments, the district has reportedly prevented the teachers from returning to work; a situation the judge ordered be rectified.
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