A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit from former Brownsburg teacher John Kluge, reasoning that a jury should decide whether the school district violated his rights by denying a religious accommodation.

Kluge resigned in 2018 after the Brownsburg Community School Corporation allegedly changed an earlier agreement that allowed him to call students by their last names instead of using names and pronouns he says conflicted with his Christian beliefs. He sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, claiming religious discrimination.

At the time, the federal courts had sided with the school district. But since then, the bar has been raised — literally.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals based its latest decision on the Supreme Court’s 2023 Groff v. DeJoy ruling, which raised the standard for rejecting religious accommodations. Under the updated standard, employers must show a “substantial burden,” as opposed to just minimal inconvenience, to deny such requests.

The case now returns to the district court for trial. Experts say the verdict could influence how schools and other public employers navigate the balance between religious freedom and nondiscrimination policies.