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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    3 months ago

    Belief and application are rarely the same. I can say I do and so can anyone else. But when it’s time to apply it, well, that’s subjective to the individual in question.

    Objectively speaking, it’s better for a teacher to focus on teaching their subject and ignore all other unrelated issues. It’s not their job to cater to other people’s needs. It’s also not their job to cater to their own personal whims while working. Do the work, then go home and be themselves.

    • macniel
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      3 months ago

      it’s better for a teacher to focus on teaching their subject and ignore all other unrelated issues. It’s not their job to cater to other people’s needs.

      Look up special needs students, and hopefully realise that you are clearly in the wrong.

      Belief and application are rarely the same. I can say I do and so can anyone else. But when it’s time to apply it, well, that’s subjective to the individual in question.

      so, you are a Prager U “”“”“”““christian””“”“”“” then? Cool cool.

      • lath@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Oh. Is now having your nickname/preferred name used a special need?

        I did not know that. Guess they should be placed in a specialized class with a trained specialist in charge then.

        • macniel
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          3 months ago

          Oh. Is now having your nickname/preferred name used a special need?

          no its not, its common decency. My statement simply showcases that a teacher does not just have to teach their subject and ignore all other unrelated issues SINCE THERE ARE SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS.

          • lath@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            Your common decency is only common in your region. Different regions have different ideas of what is common decency.

            In some parts of the world, common decency is to give the name you expect to be used when writing it down for someone else to make use of it.

            And if some students have special needs, then the teacher also needs to be hired with proper information and resources given to them by the school.

            Special needs kids need an environment properly suited to their needs. Anything else would be negligence.

            • Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              3 months ago

              In some parts of the world, common decency is to give the name you expect to be used when writing it down for someone else to make use of it.

              Yes, I agree, it is common decency for children to be able to choose their own name if they don’t like the one they were given.

              • lath@lemmy.world
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                3 months ago

                And they should be allowed to change it officially. If they can’t, then go fix that issue first.

                • Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                  3 months ago

                  And they should be allowed to change it officially. If they can’t, then go fix that issue first.

                  Explain how you can fix the issue of abusive parents refusing to allow their children to have e.g. a trans identity.

                  • lath@lemmy.world
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                    3 months ago

                    Really? “abusive parents” is all that’s needed in a civilized society. You don’t have a version of child protective services in your country? That must suck. You should probably do something about that.

        • Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          3 months ago

          Oh. Is now having your nickname/preferred name used a special need?

          Yes, it can be related to special needs, and to protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act (2010).

          I did not know that. Guess they should be placed in a specialized class with a trained specialist in charge then.

          That’s not how inclusion in education works. It wasn’t, for me, when I was a student with special needs in the 80s and 90s. It wasn’t when I trained as a teacher. It isn’t now when I work as a teacher. There are no specialised special needs classes in my (very large) institution. There are no specialised special needs classes in the feeder institutions where students come from. There are no specialised special needs classes in the universities many of these students go to.

          At most, there are organised meetings (twice a year, once a term, once a half-term, or very occasionally more often) between those students with recorded special needs and a member of Additional Learning Support. Many students with special needs only get one meeting, and then no more unless there are issues.

          You seem to believe in some kind of ‘remedial class’ environment. Is that because this was your own experience?

          • lath@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            I see you’re talking about a very entirely different problem. The lack of accomodations is not one particular teacher’s job to fix.

            Your demands are pointless if you cannot provide the environment these children need. And stuffing them together with other children and a teacher that aren’t prepared to accept their awkwardness is just begging for trouble.

            If there isn’t space, if there isn’t law, then make those first. As teachers and parents, you’re the bulk of the population, yet you won’t even influence the local council to provide what is needed. Instead you just tell people to play nice or else.

            What does that accomplish really? Is there a replacement teacher ready? Are they informed of what is required of them? Do you support them when they are caught in a situation they can’t handle or will you just throw them aside and repeat ad nauseam until a satisfactory teacher is found? If the former or something better, then congratulations. I support you, good luck! Otherwise all this is nothing but lip service.

            • Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              3 months ago

              Your demands are pointless if you cannot provide the environment these children need. And stuffing them together with other children and a teacher that aren’t prepared to accept their awkwardness is just begging for trouble.

              You seem to have a very low opinion of children with special needs. I’ve most commonly seen this in people with special needs who mask them. “I’m better than them,” they say.

              But you come across pretty badly, I’m sorry to say.

              • lath@lemmy.world
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                3 months ago

                No. I have a low opinion on society’s ability to interact with and care for children with special needs. People don’t like different or can’t handle it randomly thrust upon them.

                Kids with special needs can be very amazing and creative, so there’s your wrong assumption this time.

                Here’s the thing though, you seem to have trouble understanding a different way of thought, so you paint it in a way that you can grasp it. Perhaps it’s you who should reevaluate their own view of interpreting things, such as my replies.

    • Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      3 months ago

      Objectively speaking, it’s better for a teacher to focus on teaching their subject and ignore all other unrelated issues.

      How a student is feeling is a related issue, because that affects learning.

      Explain to me how a student can learn while experiencing the respect of not being addressed as their own identity, when they differ from their parents. It’s not a value-neutral position to say that parents are more correct than children about the identity of children: there is an assumption there about parents having control over their children’s internal mental processes, experiences, resulting personality, and direction of growth.

      • lath@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Then you should help the child settle their identity officially. Why go through furtive disruptions instead of clearing things out in a straightforward fashion? You’re just making trouble for everyone with all the sneaking about.