MEDFORD, OR – Two Oregon teachers have reached a $650,000 settlement with the school district that fired them for opposing policies allowing gender-confused students to use facilities and pronouns inconsistent with their biological sex. The settlement follows a June 2025 decision from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that reversed a lower court ruling and legitimized the teachers’ claim of “disparate treatment” based on their viewpoint. While the lower court rejected the teachers’ request for constitutional damages, the appeals court ordered the case to trial which led the district and teachers to reach a settlement agreement instead.
Former Assistant Principal Rachel Sager and Health and Science Teacher Katie Medart were fired in 2021 by the Grants Pass School District (GPSD) after creating the grassroots movement “I Resolve.” The organization seeks “reasonable” alternatives to gender education policies, such as GPSD’s “Gender Identity, Transgender, Name, and Pronoun Guidance.”
