Court sides with physician assistant fired for Christian beliefs

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on Wednesday ruled in favor of Valerie Kloosterman who maintains she lost her job due to her religious values. Judges agreed that Kloosterman can pursue her religious freedom case after the University of Michigan Health System attempted to engage in arbitration instead of continuing the case in court. The circuit court ruled the request came too late into the litigation process, but did not comment on the merits of Kloosterman’s case. The health system had already asked a lower court to dismiss her claims and a lower court last year granted a motion for arbitration, which prompted Kloosterman to take her case to the appeals court. It will now go back to a district court where lawyers with the First Liberty Institute say they will continue to litigate Kloosterman’s case.

What is the background of the case? Kloosterman was working at Metropolitan Hospital in Caledonia, Michigan, when in 2016 it became part of the University of Michigan health system. In 2021, she was required to participate in diversity training that she says required her to affirm gender ideology and refer patients for transgender medical interventions. As a Christian, she said she could not agree with the statements that were contrary to God’s design for gender and she sought a religious exemption. Instead of accommodating her sincerely held beliefs, the hospital fired her. She sued the hospital in 2022.

Dig deeper: Read Liz Lykins’ report in Liberties about Kloosterman’s court battle.