“Indeed, a reasonable argument can be made that transgenderism is fast becoming, if it has not already become, a kind of state-sponsored religion,” the judge continued. “Ironically, if anyone attempted to impose beliefs in this instance, it was [the student] and, more importantly, the District who did so. Each sought to force Mundaray to conform her conduct to tenets of transgenderism, which she rejects. Mundaray’s refusal to convert to this new secular faith cost her dearly.”
The alleged offense arose from a 2019 interaction in which a student who identified as transgender asked to be referred to using male pronouns, rather than female pronouns. The Miami-Dade teacher told the student that she could not agree to do that, because of her Christian beliefs.
When the student said “I think God made a mistake,” Mundaray responded, “I’m a Christian, and my God made no mistakes.”
Mundaray lost her job in June of 2020, but matters got worse when Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. filed an administrative complaint against the teacher, accusing her of imposing her religious views on the student. This brought the incident to the Education Practices Commission, which has the authority to punish Mundarary more severely by suspending or even revoking her teaching certification.
Based on the facts of the case, Laningham said the allegation that Mundaray imposed her views on the student is “untrue” and that “at most, Mundaray expressed her view that God is inerrant, which is about as anodyne a theological statement as one could make.”
“She did so only in defense of the God she worships,” the ruling added. “Surely, such cannot constitute a disciplinable offense in a country whose foundational principles include religious freedom.”