A contributed perspectives piece by Deborah Figliola
As a teacher, the last thing I ever thought I would do was bring a lawsuit against my own school district. But two and a half years ago, I had no choice when my district directed all staff to ask students for their preferred names and pronouns; to always use whatever pronouns a student requests, even when inconsistent with a student’s sex; and to keep that information secret from their parents.
I can’t do these things. Not only do I believe that using incorrect pronouns is lying to my students about who they are, but I could never look a parent in the eye while keeping them in the dark about the challenges facing their child. I love my students. I love working with parents. I also knew the school district wanted me to involve parents in every important issue concerning any of my students. That’s why those directives surprised me. Suddenly, when it came to sensitive questions about a student’s identity, the district had directed me to lie to parents—which would only compound my students’ struggles.
I wasn’t alone in my concerns. I heard from many fellow teachers who, like me, believed they could not follow those directives. But they also feared punishment. The district linked its new directives to its nondiscrimination policy. That policy threatens discipline—including termination—for noncompliance. I was compelled to do something.
One of the most critical lessons teachers can instill in their students is the importance of telling the truth. In my 25 years as an educator, I’ve seen how honesty and transparency can transform tough situations, even if a lie seems like an easy way out. I believe I have a duty to always tell the truth to my students and their parents, even if that means helping students have difficult conversations about what is happening at school.
In my experience, children do best with their parents’ support and guidance. Parents know and love their children best. They are the most essential support structure any child has. Cutting parents out of children’s lives removes that support. As much as I know and love my students, I am only with them for a short time. I can’t replace the role or knowledge of their parents. I wouldn’t want to.
So together with other teachers and parents affected by these directives, we went to the school district and asked it to assure us that it would involve parents and not force us to go against our conscience. But when the district refused to answer our questions and instead brushed aside our concerns, we had no choice but to ask a court, through our attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom, to step in and clarify that a school district could neither force its employees to use names and pronouns against their objections nor keep that kind of information secret from parents.
A 2023 decision by the Virginia Supreme Court in another ADF case paved the way for a settlement in our case. In that decision, it ruled for Peter Vlaming, whom a different school district had fired for avoiding using incorrect pronouns for a student.
It was after we asked the Harrisonburg court to rule for us based on Vlaming’s case, that the school district agreed to accommodate our religious objections. It also agreed to a court order that it does not require school employees to ask for or use any “preferred” names or pronouns, and that it does not support hiding or withholding this information from parents.
I’m grateful for that agreed-upon order ending our case—and for the accommodation given to me. It not only upholds the integrity of educators but also reinforces the vital role of parents in their children’s lives.
Ensuring transparency and parental involvement is key to creating a supportive learning environment where students can thrive, knowing they have the unwavering support of both their teachers and their families. I hope that our case can serve as a guiding example for school districts across the country to prioritize honesty and collaboration in addressing these sensitive issues.
Deborah Figliola is one of several teachers who recently settled a lawsuit with the Harrisonburg City Public School Board regarding policies concerning the use of the preferred names and pronouns of students.