Christian physician assistant fired for refusing to facilitate transgender car wins settlement

A Christian physician assistant who was fired after refusing to facilitate transgender procedures and use preferred pronouns won a $410,000 settlement from her former employers. 

In May 2021, Valerie Kloosterman was a physician assistant at the University of Michigan Health-West. The hospital required Kloosterman to complete a diversity training module on LGBTQ+ issues, the Daily Signal reported. 

According to Kloosterman's lawsuit, the module required her affirm statements concerning sexual orientation and gender identity that went against her Christian faith, which says God ordains a person's sex. To go against that, whether it be through surgery or the use of preferred pronouns, she believes, is going against God's will. 

The lawsuit also argues that her Hippocratic oath to "do no harm" prevents her from facilitating procedures she believes do more harm than good. 

In July 2021, Kloosterman met with the hospital's DEI program director, who was hostile toward her beliefs, told her she couldn't bring her religious beliefs into the workplace, and called her "evil," according to the lawsuit. He also claimed that a failure to use preferred pronouns would drive patients to commit suicide. The hospital fired her the following August. 

In addition to the monetary settlement, the hospital has implemented a new policy that won't require employees to act in ways that violate their religious beliefs. 

The hospital didn't respond to the Daily Signal's request to comment on the ruling.