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.

  • lath@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    If you’re the teacher of a classroom and it’s not part of your contract to call Timmy as Tim, then little Timmy can go legally change his name to Tim.

    • Eggyhead@fedia.io
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      1 month ago

      Im so glad you have insight on this. You see, I get a lot of international students in my class and I’ve had to deal with this type of thing a lot. Maybe you can help me out.

      Let’s say I have a polish student whose name is “Żółć”, which is somewhat difficult to pronounce in English. After a few failed attempts, he just tells me he prefers “George” because it sounds close enough, he likes that it sounds like English, and is easier for everyone to pronounce. His English-speaking friends call him George as well.

      Do I…

      1. Go on and call him George since he prefers it, everybody knows him as that, and move on with the lesson?
      2. Call his parents to request that they have his name legally changed to George so I can use it in the classroom, then butcher his actual name in front of his friends until they do?
      3. Assign him a nick name (not a pet name, because that might be a little weird) “Polish kid” or “Student number 8” so I can call him something easy, be technically correct, and disregard his preferred, yet technically incorrect name?

      I could really use some help with this since it happens all the time. Please let me know what you think.

    • rand_alpha19@moist.catsweat.com
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      1 month ago

      Do you realize how disconnected from reality you sound? Kids’ legal names aren’t as important as you think they are. Honestly, neither are adults’ legal names.

      If someone comes up to you (outside of a school) and says their name is Will, do you say you’re only going to call them William? If yes, wow, you are so weird. If not, why does it matter inside of a school and not outside?

      • lath@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Your teachers seem to have failed you as your reading comprehension is lacking.

        In school, a teacher is an employee. It’s their job. Outside of working hours, they’re not an employee. It’s their personal time. Job, personal time, very different things. If you expect them not to be this way, you’re kinda being an asshole towards them as a person.

        To take the IT guy as an example. Do you expect to call them outside of their working hours to come fix your internet and call you pet names in the process? If so, wow do I have news for you!

        Edit: Talk about disconnected…

        • Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 month ago

          In school, a teacher is an employee. It’s their job.

          It’s my job, as a teacher, to support my students. I do this by calling them by their preferred name if they ask.

          Feel free to complain about that.

          • lath@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            Your job as a teacher is whatever the contract asks of you. Anything you do beyond that is a choice that might not be supported by the administration of the school that employs you.

            I mean, good for you for being supportive of your students. But if your school decides you shouldn’t do that and you refuse, well bye.

            • ObliviousEnlightenment@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              Well, the administration of the school in op clearly felt that the teachers religiously motivated insistence on being a dick violated their contract; so where’s that leave you lol

              • lath@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                It leaves me at my original post. This particular teacher’s dumb reasons doesn’t change the idea in itself.

                Sure the teacher was dumb, sure the institution didn’t agree. But it’s just the circumstances of this case. Can’t say things will be the same every time, when the circumstances will be different.

                  • lath@lemmy.world
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                    1 month ago

                    They are always open to enforce a form of bigotry. So your focus should be instead on that and prevent reaching this situation. Or what? You expect to stop a series of arsons with one bucket of water?