Tennessee Christian school agrees to pay $10,000 to settle lawsuit by student suspended after posting she is gay

A Tennessee Christian school has agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former student who said she was punished for coming out as gay on social media, according to a court settlement reported by The Hill.

The lawsuit was filed by Morgan Armstrong, described as a graduating senior at a Tennessee Christian school, who alleged the school barred her from graduating and suspended her after she posted that she is gay.

The settlement resolves the case through a final judgment entered on Monday, The Hill reported, bringing the legal dispute to an end after the parties reached an agreement.

Because the report centers on the settlement and the final judgment, the public record described in the news account focuses on the payment amount and the circumstances of the alleged discipline, rather than on a merits ruling from a court.

The case highlights how student speech and institutional religious practice can collide in school disciplinary decisions, particularly when the discipline affects graduation eligibility and access to school-related events.

In addition to the settlement amount, the practical effect identified in the reporting is that the lawsuit is concluded through the court’s final judgment, ending further litigation over the claims presented in Armstrong’s complaint.

The Hill’s report did not indicate whether the settlement included additional terms such as acknowledgments, policy changes, or broader injunctive relief, and the article’s public-facing facts therefore remain limited to the payment and the resolution timing.