Physician assistant sues Michigan health system for firing her over LGBT religious exemption

A physician assistant has sued the University of Michigan’s medical center for firing her after she requested a religious exemption from referring patients for gender-transition procedures and drugs.

Filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, the lawsuit claims that Michigan Health violated Valerie Kloosterman’s First Amendment rights by firing her last year.

“Given her beliefs regarding human sexuality, Ms. Kloosterman believes that it would be sinful to prescribe or give referrals for ‘puberty blockers,’ ‘hormone therapy,’ or ‘gender reassignment surgery,’ regardless of what medical benefit those drugs and procedures might bring,” the complaint states. “She believes likewise with respect to the use of biology-obscuring pronouns.”

Although Ms. Kloosterman avoided using transgender and gender non-conforming pronouns, the complaint notes that she called patients by their first names and “never used pronouns that went against a patient’s wishes.”

Citing the First Amendment and civil rights laws, the lawsuit seeks monetary damages for lost wages and an injunction to prevent future firings.

In a statement emailed Thursday to The Washington Times, a spokesman for University of Michigan Health-West said officials had not yet seen the lawsuit.

“However, if they are similar to her claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, they will also be without merit,” the statement read.

According to court documents, Michigan Health required Ms. Kloosterman to complete an LGBTQ+ training module between May and June 2021.

The training asked her to check boxes affirming statements about sexual orientation and gender identity that she said contradicted her biblical belief in two biological sexes.

Ms. Kloosterman, a member of the United Reformed Church, decided to complete the training and meet separately with her superiors to share her concerns.

After meeting twice with Michigan Health diversity, equity and inclusion officials to request a religious exemption, she received a termination notice on Aug. 24, 2021. Ten days later, she received a letter confirming the reasons for her dismissal. 

The complaint states that “no complaints were ever raised about her performance” in Ms. Kloosterman’s 17 years of work. It also accuses the hospital of a double standard in granting exemptions from various medical procedures to other employees for non-religious reasons.

She is represented in the case by attorneys at the First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based Christian law firm.

“It is blatantly intolerant of Michigan Health to demand that medical professionals like Valerie abandon their religious beliefs in order to remain employed,” said Kayla Toney, a First Liberty attorney.