COLUMBUS, Ohio-An Ohio federal judge has ruled that an apostolic Protestant middle school teacher, Vivian Geraghty, who resigned rather than use students’ preferred names and pronouns, can proceed to trial on her free-speech and freedom-of-religion claims. The judge found that requiring Geraghty to use preferred names and pronouns could be considered compelled speech, and that the issue involves complex questions of whether such practices are developmentally appropriate and if Geraghty’s resignation was voluntary or coerced.
