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
    7·
    3 months ago

    Uh huh. So calling students by their actual name is not respecting their human dignity now.

    You seem to place parental choices and legal contracts over personal preference. Maybe you don’t care so much about human dignity in terms of being able to express one’s own identity, at least when it comes to children.

    Did you not have an identity as a child, other than the one your parents picked out for you, as defined in a legal contract that your school recorded?

     

    You have a name and it is being used in its exact form. That is in fact respecting your dignity as a human being.

    The human being didn’t choose their name at the time of birth. They were not able to produce language, and are not legally awarded have the capacity to express a choice (babies cannot sign contracts).

    The human being is now older, and can now choose. That has precedence over a choice made for them.

    • lath@lemmy.world
      1·
      3 months ago

      Did you not have an identity as a child, other than the one your parents picked out for you, as defined in a legal contract that your school recorded?

      Yes. Outside of school. Outside of the classroom. Outside of where I was graded. Outside of the exams.

      The human being is now older, and can now choose. That has precedence over a choice made for them.

      And they should do so, officially. It is an option and they should take advantage of it.

      • ObliviousEnlightenment@lemmy.world
        1·
        3 months ago

        How the fuck do you expect a child with unsupportive parents or in certiab states to change their name legally? Thats simply not a fiar expectation, and forcing the whims of shitty parents and stares (anything unsupportive in the case of trans people we are obviously discussing is indeed shitty- this is not up for debate) is a dick move.

        • lath@lemmy.world
          1·
          3 months ago

          Wait until you’re of legal age, campaign to make it legal earlier, go to a lawyer that works pro-bono and have them sue your parents for not respecting your rights as a free-willed individual.

          If your aren’t willing to fight for it, then is it really something you can call a defining trait? If the others aren’t willing to fight for it with you, then is it really something worth enforced?

          Going after one teacher doesn’t solve the problem itself. It’s just a skin deep plaster that hides the infected wound below. Fix the wound, don’t just pretty it up.

          • ObliviousEnlightenment@lemmy.world
            1·
            3 months ago

            I think you severely underestimate the likelihood of a kid ending up in ab environment that is hostile on all sides, which does not mean the problem isn’t worth fighting for

            • lath@lemmy.world
              1·
              3 months ago

              If the kid ends up in that kind of environment, just one teacher using their actual name is the least of the things you should be concerned about.