Posted on 12/12/2018 10:02:17 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Students at a public high school have demonstrated their support for a Christian teacher fired from his position because he refused to refer to a trans-identified student by their preferred pronoun.
Less than 24 hours after the West Point, Virginia school board unanimously voted to terminate high school French instructor Peter Vlaming, a large group of students walked out of their classes to protest the decision.
“He's an amazing man,” student Wyatt Pedersen told WWBT News. “I think he really was going with what he believed was right and it's really unfair that he’s being punished for that, especially in such a dramatic way.”
“I feel like everyone should have the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion as well,” said Junior Zachary Gonzalez.
Forrest Rohde, the West Point High School junior who organized the walkout, emphasized that the protest was not about the transgender student. Rather, he said students took issue with the school board “trying to force the teacher to conform to their ideologies with the threat of removal from the school.”
“The child is going through a lot,” Rohde said. “We shouldn’t be directing this towards her, we should be directing this towards the school board.”
Following a brief suspension, Vlaming was fired after the school board accused him of engaging in “discrimination” and contributing to a “hostile learning environment.”
The teacher explained that while he agreed to use the student's chosen name, he drew the line at pronouns, as doing so violated his conscience.
“I won't use male pronouns with a female student that now identifies as a male though I did agree to use the new masculine name but avoid female pronouns,” said Vlaming in response to the suspension.
“Administration is requiring that I use masculine pronouns in any and every context at school. I was informed that any further instances of using female pronouns would be grounds for termination.”
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page set up to help Vlaming cover legal fees and provide for his family has raised over $20,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. With four children under the age of 10, Vlaming, who had taught at West Point for seven years, was the only source of income for his family, the page notes.
Wrote one supporter: “Our prayers are with you and your family. Thank you for standing up for your beliefs; God will have the victory!”
“A teacher that has the support of his students deserves to be supported by everyone,” added another.
Vlaming’s attorney, Shawn Voyles, maintained that the school system was not respecting the constitutional rights of his client, but praised West Point for permitting students to participate in the walkout.
“We are glad to see that West Point Public Schools permitted this peaceful protest today,” Voyles said. “That was not the case in November when the students began circulating a petition to return my client to his job.
As a student testified at the hearing yesterday, the high school principal actually confiscated the petition. It unfortunately took a threat of legal action by a student to have it returned.”
Voyles said he is considering how to proceed, including a possible appeal with the circuit court, adding that tolerance should be a “two-way street.”
“Unfortunately, tolerance on the part of the school division has been noticeably absent,” he said. “It chose to impose its own orthodoxy on Mr. Vlaming and fired him because he didn't relinquish his rights protected by the First Amendment.”
bttt
Bump!
This school board just violated this teacher's rights with no justification at all.
America’s Jordan Peterson?
You know what alternative there is to all of this?
The alternative is to neither speak to, nor about, a trans person at all; as if they do not exist.
Look, if you must use improper words when speaking to them or about them; if you are legally bound to use words that violate your right of conscience, then your only place of refuge is SILENCE in regard to them. You cannot mention them, nor address them; you act, instead, as if they simply do not exist.
So, now, ask the self-mis-gendered person which is worse: to be addressed in terms they don’t prefer, or to not be addressed at all?
The kids are waking up. It’s called Free Speech.
I’m an uneducated white deplorable. I would just call it....Hey dipschitt.....
Just say “hey you” and nothing else.
He should have identified as a Moslem, then it would all be A-OK!
Seriously, this insanity HAS TO STOP. My husband’s company yesterday just sent out a memo to all managers (he is one) about how they must behave regarding this insanity. Yes, his co. is very liberal, so they have no trouble finger-waving that everyone must obey whatever some nutjob wants.
He said he will identify as royalty and must be referred to as “Your Majesty”.
The adults are participating in this child abuse crap. The future will look back on these days in horror
Gender is sort of important to a teacher of French, and the rules pertaining to its usage don’t include politics or princess fantasies.
I’m sure the school will support the students’ right to protest
There is one good thing to come of all this.
I did subcontracting on government construction projects for many years. I ran into many roadblocks because I am white and many projects require a certain percentage of minority contractors.
I believe there is a real legal case to be made if I just identified as a crippled black lesbian. Would they be able to deny me? I don’t think so since they make such a huge deal about anyone can be anything.
I’m too old and worn out to fight it but it sure opens it up for someone to do it.
My salutation in the Develop system is “His Royal Highness”.
It would be Age Discrimination to force me to remember pronouns. Besides, according to the system, I’m Trans. They allowed us to change our sex so I now a woman. I now know the shame of being ogled at work by men.
This is where Jordan Peterson first got a lot of traction. By protesting and refusing to along with University of Toronto regulations that forced instructors and other students to address WACKY-TRANS students by their concocted trans gender name. And there were something like 50 of these invented names.
Good for them! This “trans” nonsense has to stop.
Your mental illness does not require me to humor your delusions
His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada Alberta's Child, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular.
We’ll remember the courage of those who protested, but the teacher is out and hundreds more will be out for not using the “correct” pronouns.
We do not live in the land of the free. There is no freedom of speech. Both are a farce and a cruel joke.
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