cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18749281

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.

  • grue@lemmy.worldOP
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    1 month ago

    (Uplifting because a bigot got the consequences he deserved, not because the whiny piece of shit sued over it.)

  • BougieBirdie
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    1 month ago

    The teacher believes he is being discriminated against because the state won’t allow him to discriminate against society’s most vulnerable members, who happen to be in his care.

    You can’t make this stuff up.

      • Seleni@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I hope every time he gets out of bed he steps on a Lego. And when he hops off it in pain, he hops onto another Lego. Every time he goes barefoot, he steps on a Lego. For the rest of his life.

  • Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I’m currently working at a school with a trans kid. She’s an absolute delight and if I hear anyone in the district dead name her, there will be hell to pay. I’m so glad schools are getting rid if jackasses like this guy.

    • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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      1 month ago

      What does the student have down on their paperwork? I’m just thinking that there could be some confusion if the old name was on everything instead of their preferred name.

      Does someone at the school try to correct the records in some way in that situation?

      • Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Our system actually has a fill in for preferred names for both faculty and students and will use that on all documents if you check the box. I myself use it and my badge, logins, and even timeclock have my nickname instead of my legal name. I only know her real name because her dossier was upfront about being trans.

        • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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          1 month ago

          That’s cool. Thank you for actually providing an answer to my questions. Much appreciated

      • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Official documentation doesn’t have any bearing on what you call someone in class. It’s literally no different than calling William by his preferred name of Will.

        • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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          1 month ago

          I’m asking how everyone would know what to call them and if there’s a way to make sure they do.

          Don’t worry, someone else provided a real answer. Thanks.

        • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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          30 days ago

          Why are you just making things up? What’s the point of you taking the effort to say nonsense?

      • bizarroland@fedia.io
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        1 month ago

        I mean, I’m sure this only came up because he was specifically asked by the student or the student’s friends to use their preferred name and he said, “Jesus would send me to hell if I did!”, which is terrifying.

        Not terrifying in the idea that Jesus will send you to hell for using a trans person’s preferred name, because he won’t, but terrifying that somebody believes that and lives their life worshiping a horrible monster that would do that to a human being.

  • ravhall@discuss.online
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    1 month ago

    Back in the 90s, most of my teachers would ask the class on the first day if they had any (school appropriate) nicknames they prefer to be called.

    Just make this a requirement.

    • Transporter Room 3@startrek.website
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      My 6th grade teacher did exactly this, but went beyond normal nicknames and said if there’s ANYTHING you want to be called she would use that name instead. Granted, every teacher before that would hear the nicknames and just use them anyway, but this one went a step beyond that.

      Not a single kid used their birth name. Some used regular nicknames, some used their parents nickname for them, and some chose something else. I went the cringier route and chose “silent hill because I like that game and I’m usually quiet” and sure enough she called me that all year. Had the nicknames down by the end of the week and still knew each child’s real name for when she’s talking to other adults.

      I don’t see what the big deal is with using someone’s preferred name. Legitimately the only reason to not use it in this context is to be a piece of shit.

    • Dizzy Devil Ducky@lemm.ee
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      Throughout all of my years at school, ending in late 2010s they always at some point around first day asked something similar too, but it was mostly just another name you go by rather than nickname.

      Totally agree they should do something like that as a requirement, though.

      • ravhall@discuss.online
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        1 month ago

        A kid in my class hated his first name Courtney, and went by his middle name, Roger (preferably Rodge), because there were several other girls in our grade named Courtney, and people had made fun of him for having a “girls name,” even though Courtney is technically not gender specific.

  • FederatedSaint@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Please stop bringing this kind of crap into “uplifting news.”

    This is objectively sad news. I’m not happy a kid isn’t getting supported by his teacher at school. While it’s probably good he was fired for it, it’s not what I’d call “uplifting” at all.

  • rand_alpha19@moist.catsweat.com
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    1 month ago

    Lmao. Teachers don’t get free speech, they’re acting in loco parentis. Anything detrimental to a child in their care is grounds for dismissal. Just depends on the school.

    • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Oh, you’d be surprised the states that would disagree with you.

      Well…maybe “surprised” isn’t the word. I assume you follow the news. Maybe “deeply saddened with humanity and it’s inability to tolerate those different than them” is a better word…although I suppose that’s many words.

      Oh well. Life is funny like that. Always surprising you. Or…rather deeply saddening with humanity and it’s inability to tolerate those different than them as it were.

  • radicalautonomy@lemmy.world
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    I just had teacher trainings this week at the school district I am working for this year after moving from Texas to the PDX area. It was like night and day compared to Texas. The training began with Land Acknowledgements, and we spent a few hours learning about and discussing how we will be implementing cross-curricular activities on the culture, language, and practices of the Native American tribes from this area. I teared up, I gotta tell ya.

    But the thing that really hit me the hardest was how comfortable I felt as a queer person. They asked us to put our pronouns on our name tent, and I initially put the ones I was assigned at birth (because I’m coming from Texas where I didn’t dare let on that I wasn’t cisgender). But I soon realized through discussions with the trainers and with people at mine and surrounding tables that this really is a safe place, that I can be myself and not fear repercussions that would affect my livelihood.

    So I shared during discussions about privilege and power that I was non-binary, and nobody batted an eye, no microgestures indicating their discomfort, it was just…normal. Safe. I’ve never felt like this before. Every queer person…teacher, student, citizen, immigrant, or otherwise…should be allowed to feel like this.

    • ThelittleDoe
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      1 month ago

      EEEEEE, So glad you feel comfortable here! ^^ I love it when people mention that. Not to say we’re perfect, far from it, but safe, we do try to be. c: (Growing up here in the closet, especially during high school, was difficult but not impossible x.x Was able to get put on hormones the same day I was diagnosed with GD. So glad I had the resources to use once I was 18.)

    • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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      Well that’s because if Florida didn’t exist, Texas would be the worst state. I don’t know what state you’re in now, but it sounds like it’s not Florida, Texas, Ohio, or Iowa…in that order.

  • circuscritic@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    This is not uplifting. This is a lose-lose as it’s the type of case that this particular Supreme Court loves to add to their docket.

    Eventually, SCOTUS will either rule that this does in fact violate his religious rights, or they will make a ruling siding with the school district that destroys part of the civil rights act, which is cited all throughout his filing:

    "…repeatedly cites the 1964 Civil Rights Act and its Title VII section prohibiting workplace discrimination

    • Zannsolo@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      My civics teacher’s wife called one time during class and it went to the answering machine, “Hi Ernie”, whole class bursts into laughter. Def called him Ernie a few times.

  • lettruthout@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Maybe we should check to see what that VP candidate James Donald Bowman, James David Hamel, J. D. Hamel, J. D. Vance, JD Vance has to say about this.