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.

  • @[email protected]
    7•1 month ago

    A school is an organization with a specific purpose. A teacher is an employee of that organization working there under a contract within a set of rules.

    Are you LARPing being autistic? Because, as an autistic teacher of autistic students, I find your ignorant appeals to neutral logic pretty galling.

    • @lath
      -5•1 month ago

      Good for you for being an autistic teacher for autistic children. I presume you were hired specifically for that purpose with the required resources given in mind.

      • @[email protected]
        5•1 month ago

        Nope. I didn’t know I was autistic when I got this job. The class is not a special needs class. Children might be found to be autistic while in the class. Children might be judged by me and by trained support staff to have a high likelihood of being autistic without an official diagnosis, because CAMHS is a very overburdened system.

        Another wrong assumption that you have made.

        • @lath
          -3•1 month ago

          I presumed incorrectly then. Thank you for clarifying.

          The obligations of a teacher aren’t just word of mouth or unspoken rules. Going beyond the obligations required by your institution makes you, it or both liable for blame when something goes wrong.

          Not everyone wants to shoulder that blame, not everyone should be forced to shoulder that blame if they didn’t sign up for it.

          Your institution has policy, trained staff and wiling teachers, all explained beforehand. But that’s just your case. You can’t expect everyone to conform the same way when each of their circumstances may be different.

          • @[email protected]
            6•1 month ago

            Going beyond the obligations required by your institution makes you, it or both liable for blame when something goes wrong.

            I’ve given students food many times, because they were hungry. I’m not a kitchen. I’m not a fridge. I’m not employed as a caterer.

            I haven’t been fired for it, nor told off.

            Not everyone wants to shoulder that blame, not everyone should be forced to shoulder that blame if they didn’t sign up for it.

            You seem to live in a very scared headspace, where if you don’t follow rules perfectly you will be fired. Is this because your behaviour is very strange, and you have to mask very heavily to not get in trouble? If so, that’s not a feature of the world for everyone else, it’s related more to your own individual differences.

            • @lath
              -3•1 month ago

              You seem to be very biased in your view. And I admit I am in mine.

              I think all humans are human, despite our quirks and differences. And it’s because of this that we can’t come together and unite in our thoughts and views on life in general.

              The rules are there to help when these differences come into conflict. If there is bias, it means they need to be adjusted. But they need not be removed. Think they’re too rigid, then change them. But your lack of respect for them says enough about your own disillusionment with reality.

              Are you frustrated with your own lack of ability to change things? Have you already given up? That’s fine. I’m sure your intent to do good will succeed eventually, as long as you keep at it. One child at a time.