The Wisconsin English teacher, Jordan Cernek, argues in the suit that the district violated his freedom of religion and free speech in mandating the use of the students' preferred names and pronouns.

The Wisconsin English teacher, Jordan Cernek, argues in the suit that the district violated his freedom of religion and free speech in mandating the use of the students’ preferred names and pronouns.

A high school English teacher is suing a Wisconsin school district, alleging it did not renew his contract last year because he refused to use the preferred names of two transgender students.

Jordan Cernek’s federal lawsuit alleges the Argyle School District violated his constitutional and civil rights to be free of religious discrimination and to be able to express himself according to his religious beliefs when it did not renew his contract because he refused to abide by a requirement that teachers use the names or pronouns requested by students.

  • Samvega
    10·
    3 months ago

    Hi, I’m a teacher.

    The names I use are the ones that make the students comfortable. Trans student with parents who don’t accept it? Student is more important.

    If I change your name in the school system to “Cunty McNonce” - and, obviously, I have access - would it be okay to use that name? After all, that’s the record of official documents that the school uses to confirm a name.

    What you’re actually saying is that the personal desires of parents to control their children are more important than anything else. In human society, there’s generally some level of personal desire getting in the way: eliding that is a means to pretend that those who have power are more ethical than they really are.

    • lath@lemmy.world
      1·
      3 months ago

      Good for you, but that is your choice.

      If you changed my name illegally, that’s how it will be treated.

      What I’m saying is that legal names are legal for a reason. If you don’t like your legal name, change it. If you can’t, well, that’s a whole nother problem.

      Your imagination is wild.

      • Samvega
        9·
        3 months ago

        What I’m saying is that legal names are legal for a reason. If you don’t like your legal name, change it. If you can’t, well, that’s a whole nother problem.

        Can a child do that yet? If no, expecting them to do so denies them freedom of identity and expression. Abusing children used to be ‘legal’. People disagreed, even though it was ‘legal’. It was made more and more ‘illegal’. In Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development, I seem to be at the post-conventional stage (reasoning based on personal ethics) when responding to tasks designed to identify these stages. Where are you in those stages? Your strict adherence to legal records over human expression seems to give a clue.

        Your imagination is wild.

        Your lack of imagination is boring, and leads you to think and express yourself in a mechanical, anti-human way.

        • lath@lemmy.world
          1·
          3 months ago

          You’re all talk. If you want the laws to change then organize and elect to change them. If you can’t do that, why are you even here? All you do is bicker. “Ah! Freedom of expression” You want it and expect it, but don’t act to ensure it where it matters, which is legally.

          You’re complaining the laws are corrupt. Uncorrupt them. Why are you here arguing with me when you could be out there, talking with other teachers, parents, grandparents etc and actually create an environment where my mechanical, anti-human way doesn’t actually take precedence to the kindness of your heart?

          • Samvega
            4·
            3 months ago

            You’re complaining the laws are corrupt. Uncorrupt them.

            This is pathetic.

            • lath@lemmy.world
              1·
              3 months ago

              Yes it is. You like being the victim so much, you’d rather suffer in silence than to actually try.

      • Samvega
        6·
        3 months ago

        Good for you, but that is your choice.

        It’s actually policy at my institution. When students have preferred names, they are recorded. Teachers are asked to us them, and if they make the child upset by not using them repeatedly they get in trouble. If the child does not want the parents to know about their name change, they are not told. This protects trans students.

        You make a lot of wrong assumptions. Is this your hobby?

        • lath@lemmy.world
          1·
          3 months ago

          Well in that case, that’s the policy of your institution. You didn’t mention that in the former post so excuse my reply while lacking that piece of information. (You aren’t a very good teacher if you skip stuff like this in class and then expect your students to know it.)

          If the teacher is obligated by the institution policy, then they should respect it obviously. It’s no longer a matter of preference.

          • Samvega
            4·
            3 months ago

            Well in that case, that’s the policy of your institution. You didn’t mention that in the former post so excuse my reply while lacking that piece of information. (You aren’t a very good teacher if you skip stuff like this in class and then expect your students to know it.)

            This is just obnoxious trolling at this point.

            If the teacher is obligated by the institution policy, then they should respect it obviously. It’s no longer a matter of preference.

            You treat employees as contractually-obligated machines. You really have a dim view of human agency.