Teacher Objects to Using Trans Students' Chosen Names, Loses Job

[+ Avalon]

https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2018/6/09/teacher-objects-using-trans-students-chosen-names-loses-job

 

He lost his job as well he should. A person has the right to be called by whatever name they wish. It's just a common courtesy.

[Zapped]

I near Indianapolis. Of course, there are the "religious freedom" would-be theocrats claiming he's a victim.

 

The kids have a right to be called by the name they want to be called by.

 

If that's part of the rules of the game, he doesn't have to play the game.

 

What I don't understand is why SO many "Christian" people don't want to follow a course of action for religious reasons, and then go crazy because they are "victims." This guy wants to take the students and the student's parents' right to decide the student's name on to himself. All in the name (supposedly) of Jesus!

 

Here's a conservative columnist's column defending the teacher. The column has gotten a lot of negative response. And helped to polarize the issue. I guess now that we have same-sex marriage and it's more and more accepted as the norm, the white middle-class religious-zealot fear has nowhere to go but to demonize trans kids and immigrants.

[TruthBTold]

https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2018/6/09/teacher-objects-using-trans-students-chosen-names-loses-job

He lost his job as well he should. A person has the right to be called by whatever name they wish. It's just a common courtesy.

 

I think that a child (with his parent/guardian) have a right to register the child by the name that he/she will use during the year. The school must be able to keep records corresponding to the child, the teacher must be able to call the child a specific name while the child is being taught. However, once the child registers under a specific name then the child must use it while registered under that name. The parents/guardians and child however may change the registered name to correspond to the child's sex and the teachers must comply. However to willfully refuse to comply with the requested name change once it is made by the child/parent should be punishable.

[Guest]

I recently read a book called Before I Had the Words by Skylar Kergil. I highly recommend it. It really helped me understand what trans people have to face. Some trans people can go to great lengths to pass as their preferred gender,even before surgery (such as binding one’s breasts). Calling them by their birth names can be very hurtful.

[Guest]

https://www.beforeihadthewords.com/

Edited June 15, 2018 by Unicorn

[TruthBTold]

In a way I really have to think about why trans people choose to difficult life they do and what "urges" lead them to make that choice. I equate it to how I would imagine straight people have to wonder at times why gay/lesbian people make the choices they do and/or what desires lead them to do so. In the end it is trying to understand and accept each other.

[+ sniper]

To me it's the data on suicide rates that is most compelling. Even if you think people "should" accept their bodies as they are and their sex as their gender, the reduction in suicide that accompanies transition is drastic enough that I think it shouldn't be viewed as elective. Judaism holds that you are obligated to break any law to save a life. I think this falls under that category. No other therapy that has been tried with transgender people comes close in effectiveness at reducing suicide.

[TruthBTold]

To me it's the data on suicide rates that is most compelling. Even if you think people "should" accept their bodies as they are and their sex as their gender, the reduction in suicide that accompanies transition is drastic enough that I think it shouldn't be viewed as elective. Judaism holds that you are obligated to break any law to save a life. I think this falls under that category. No other therapy that has been tried with transgender people comes close in effectiveness at reducing suicide.

 

I agree. I think the thread began as a story about a teacher who would only call a student by his/her given name. I think that a student should be able to dress as he/her wishes, that he/she should be able to medically transition as he/she sees fit and that a teacher and fellow students can choose to call the trans student whatever name he/she wishes. However the only point I was making was that a student and his/her parents must register the trans student under one name and then must follow the procedure and rules to change the student's name under the school's manual. If a teacher follows the rules then he or she cannot and should not be disciplined. If he/she does not, however, appropriate disciplinary action must be taken.

[+ sniper]

I think once it's known something is happening, it's pretty clear the teacher is bullying if s/he pedantically keeps using the old name/pronouns because not every last one of the TPS reports has been filled out in triplicate yet. And harassing the student should be unacceptable period.

[TruthBTold]

I think once it's known something is happening, it's pretty clear the teacher is bullying if s/he pedantically keeps using the old name/pronouns because not every last one of the TPS reports has been filled out in triplicate yet. And harassing the student should be unacceptable period.

 

I would love to agree with that because as many people in society become acquainted with the issue (tho this current administration does not make it very easy) they will willingly choose to call a child a newly chosen name. However, if there is a policy that has been formulated the school board must change that policy so that the name change can be done very quickly. Teachers should never be disciplined for complying with policy. The teacher has no intent to bully the student. The intent is to comply with official procedure. As I said many teachers will simply call the child by the name he/she wishes but use the name in written materials until the change can be done according to policy.

[Guest]

.....The teacher has no intent to bully the student. The intent is to comply with official procedure. As I said many teachers will simply call the child by the name he/she wishes but use the name in written materials until the change can be done according to policy.

WTF?? Did you even read the first sentence of the article before chiming in?? The article clearly states the teacher lost his job “because he refused to follow school district policy requiring teachers to use students’ preferred names.” So the facts are actually opposite from what you describe. Read the book. The author always tried to fit in as a boy. He watched in horror as his breasts grew, and went through painful banding of his breasts every day. He was comparatively fortunate in having a mostly supportive family, though one of his father’s first comments was “Why can’t you just be a normal lesbian?”.

[TruthBTold]

Yes, and as you my reading skills obviously are not up to par. I apologize. Obviously the teacher, who was teaching in a public school, should have been disciplined to the extent the board thought appropriate. His "first amendment" religious beliefs should have not had anything to do with whether he followed school policy and called the student his chosen name after following the rest of the name procedure. Period. It appears that he always has a right to appeal the decision.

[Guest]

Students in public schools should not have to be subjected to their teachers’ judgmental religious beliefs. If this teacher’s religious views are so strong, he should work in a religious school. Or, better yet, work as a preacher or priest or deacon. As an atheist, I don’t expect to be employed as a Catholic priest, so that I can speak to the congregation and tell them what idiots they must be to believe in all that crap. Why should a public school teacher have the right to shame a trans student? Trans students have to deal with enough bullying outside the classroom.