from Premier
A Michigan healthcare worker who was fired after refusing, on the basis of her Christian faith, to support gender-transition procedures or use patients’ preferred pronouns has received a $410,000 (£304,000) settlement.
Valerie Kloosterman lost her job at University of Michigan Health-West (UMHW) in 2021, after 17 years working in healthcare.
When UMHW took over the clinic where Kloosterman worked, staff were required to undergo training on gender identity. Kloosterman said aspects of the policy conflicted with her Christian beliefs and requested a religious exemption.
Her lawsuit alleged that she was subsequently called into a meeting with hospital officials, which her lawyers described as an “interrogation”, and questioned over whether she would refer patients for gender-transition surgery and use their preferred pronouns.
According to the lawsuit, a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) official called Kloosterman “evil” and a “liar” because of her Christian beliefs, accused her of contributing to suicides among patients with gender dysphoria and told her that the Bible and religious beliefs had no place in the clinic.
Earlier this year, Kloosterman told the US Religious Liberty Commission that her “faith in Christ” had led her into healthcare and continued to inform her work.
“I believe and know that everyone is created in the image of God and worthy of love and respect, that God created humans male and female as a reflection of his image and for his glory, and that God doesn’t make mistakes”, she added.
First Liberty Institute, which supported Kloosterman’s case, welcomed the settlement.