(The Daily Signal)
A high school teacher in Jacksonville, Florida, faced criticism and disciplinary action because a transgender student asked him to refer to the student by female pronouns, although the student was born male. The teacher refused.
A heated e-mail exchange between teacher and student prompted the high school to implement extra training to make sure the school’s teachers were fostering an inclusive environment.
The incident provides another example of the controversy that accompanies how the burgeoning transgender issue is infiltrating society.
First Coast News reported that the transgender student, over email, asked Sandalwood High School teacher Thomas Caggiano to refer to the student using female pronouns. First Coast News obtained the e-mails.
“I will NOT refer to you with female pronouns,” Caggiano wrote in reply. “If this is not acceptable for you, change classes. I will call you by any reasonable name you like, but the pronouns are not a negotiable thing for me.”
In response, Sandalwood’s principal, Saryn Hatcher, told the student’s family she would “handle” it.
A spokesperson for Duval County Public Schools called the incident a “teachable moment” that “allowed for constructive dialogue among our school community.” School officials have made no further statements and Caggiano remains on the school’s website as a faculty member. Read more
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