A Christian assistant who says that she was wrongly interrupted because of her religious objections to the policy of transgender affirmation of her employer finally had her day in court, more than three years after losing her job.
Valerie Kloosterman worked for 17 years as a medical assistant for Metro Health Caledonia, a rural ambulatory clinic managed by the University of Michigan Health-West (UMHW). It was interrupted in August 2021 after having pretended to look for religious housing so as not to be forced to use patient pronouns of patients or to refer to patients with transgender surgical procedures and drugs.
The law firms First Liberty and Clement & Murphy, PLLC, filed a complaint against the UMHW, accusing the health system of having violated the first and the fourteenth amendment to the free exercise of religion, of freedom expression and equality of protection; And violate title VII of the civil rights law of 1964, when it was terminated by her work.
Michigan lawyers James Wieranga and David J. Williams also filed the complaint on behalf of Kloosterman.
After years of legal delays in the Kloosterman affair, his lawyers were able to deliver oral arguments before the American Court of Appeal for the sixth circuit on February 6.
The assistant of the Christian doctor continues Michigan’s health for having been dismissed after opposing trans procedures
The University of Michigan Health West System has dismissed Valerie Kloosterman, medical assistant, after having allegedly requested religious housing for a new transgender affirmation policy. (Istock via Getty / First Liberty)
Kloosterman told Fox News Digital that shortly before her UMHW dismissal, she had to complete a diversity training module which forced her to affirm declarations concerning sexual orientation and gender identity that was going to against his Christian faith.
“Two of these questions specifically declared that the genre was fluid. I could not say:” No, I do not believe that, as we were made in the image of God, it is something that God has us designed. It is not something that we are assigned to birth. But I couldn’t put, “no.” This would not allow me to carry out the compulsory investigation, and they had already declared that you would be dismissed if you did not fill it, “she said.
Kloosterman said that during her 17 years of practice, she had treated LGBT patients in the same way as any other patient and without any conflict. She said that she had never met a situation where she had been forced to use a patient’s chosen pronouns.
When she looked for a religious exemption through HR for the hypothetical situation, several meetings followed. During her last meeting before her dismissal, Kloosterman said she was reprimanded by the coordinator of the UMHW diversity, equity and inclusion program on his religious beliefs.
“The meeting became hostile. This person called me a liar for having declared that I had seen patients from the LGBT community and that I had no problem, no concern. Surgery that changed gender,” said -Ali said.
Order of Trump restricting sex change procedures for minors in accordance with “don’t hurt”, says the doctor
According to First Liberty, a Dei official in a Michigan health system told a Christian doctor assistant that his religious opposition to refer to patients by their favorite pronouns would lead to these patients to commit suicide. (AP photo / John Hanna)
This same manager of Dei would also have made fun of his faith and told him that she would suicide transgender patients by not making their pronouns, says the trial.
Kloosterman said that management told him that the conversation would continue at another time. But a month later, she was suddenly called to the office and shot on the spot, according to the trial.
“I did not have the possibility of closing my table. I did not have the opportunity to tell my patients. I was not even allowed to return to the office to get my personal effects”, a- She said to Fox News Digital.
Kloosterman said that she had left the amazed office that her employer would dismiss her because of her religious opposition to a hypothetical situation.
She also had a broken heart that her patients, with whom she had established long -term relationships, would be left in the dark as to the reason why she was no longer their supplier.
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Valerie Kloosterman said that she had been suddenly dismissed without notice of her work after asking for religious housing for the transgender assertion policy of her employer. (istock)
“I had several patients in my mind that I thought” I have diagnoses I need to tell them “… I promised that I would remind them. And I couldn’t do that. And I had shone this promise to them. I. I didn’t know how to help them … You have so many things that experience you.
Although the ordeal has tested her faith, she also opened conversations with her sons on what it means to trust God when times are difficult, said Kloosterman.
“It’s not my battle or my trip, right?” She said about these conversations with her family. “It is a question of God and of glorifying God and of being faithful and being honest and of knowing that I must do it at each stage of the process. If it is emotional, if it is difficult, if it means Losing my job, I have to do it.
The trial indicates that Kloosterman was an “exemplary” employee who had never been subjected to a discipline to the point of turning. She had a “stellar” reputation with her patients and patients “willingly” of all different beliefs and horizons, including those who identified as lesbian, gay or experiencing gender dysphoria, according to Documents.
Kloosterman filed an accusation of discrimination with the equality employment committee and the first freedom continued after the health system refused to restore Kloosterman.
Valerie Kloosterman said that she had “broken heart” that she would not be able to explain to her patients why she could no longer be their supplier. (istock)
They are looking for monetary damage, fair relief and for Kloosterman to be reinstated in UMHW with housing for problems concerning transgender pronouns and surgery references.
UMHW did not respond to a request for comments.
In a previous statement concerning the trial, UMHW told Fox News Digital: “The University of Michigan Health-West is committed to providing medical treatment suitable for all patients and respects the religious beliefs of its employees. We are Convinced of the allegations of Ms. Kloosterman, like those she has deposited with the Equality Employment Commission, is without foundation.
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The health system boasts of its dei values on its website and says that it has been recognized nationally for its commitment to LGBTQ patients.
“UM Health-West is the most score system in the Grande Rapids region and obtains the designation as more efficient in equal health care LGBTQ +” The website says.
During his first days in power, President Donald Trump signed an executive decree to restrict the procedures for sexual change “chemical and surgical” for minors.
Several hospitals and clinics for children across the country have ignored order and have promised to continue to offer transgender medical treatments to patients.
Jon Brown of Fox News contributed to this article.
