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March 15, 2007

Transgender professor, Christian college settle sex-discrimination complaint

Transgender professor, Christian college settle sex-discrimination complaint

A transgender professor who was fired by a Christian school in Michigan has reached a settlement in her sex-discrimination complaint. Julie Nemecek and Spring Arbor University agreed to the settlement Monday after mediation talks with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Terms of the deal were not released, but Nemecek said Tuesday that she will no longer be employed by the school outside Jackson, about 75 miles west of Detroit. "I'm looking for other employment," said Nemecek, who recently changed her name from John. "I may do some consulting work. I'm definitely going to do advocacy for transgender issues."

Spring Arbor said the discrimination charge has been withdrawn.

The evangelical university, affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, fired the 55-year-old associate professor last month after a 15-month dispute. It previously had decided not to renew Nemecek's contract after the spring semester, citing conduct "inconsistent with the Christian faith."

Nemecek is an ordained Baptist minister who began living as a woman in 2004. Nemecek is legally male and is getting hormone therapy but doesn't plan to have sex-reassignment surgery, partly to continue a marriage of 35 years.

Nemecek's case became known around the same time as that of Steve Stanton, who is disputing his dismissal as city manager of Largo, Fla., after announcing he would undergo sex-reassignment surgery. (David Eggert, AP)

© 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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