Lambda Legal files amicus brief urging 7th Circuit Court to uphold ruling on school’s trans-protective policy
Lambda Legal this week filed an amicus brief asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to once again affirm a lower court ruling holding that a Indiana public school was not required under Title VII to accommodate a request by an anti-LGBTQ teacher to disregard the gender identities of his students because doing so affirmatively disparaged and harmed students.
The district court, according to a Lambda Legal press release, “recognized that allowing a teacher to refuse to use names and pronouns consistent with students’ gender identities caused real harm to transgender students and disrupted the learning environment.” Nathan Maxwell, senior attorney for Lambda Legal, said, “Affirming a transgender student’s identity isn’t just an act of respect, it’s a lifeline.
By honoring students’ identities, we help them feel seen, valued, and supported, which in turn reduces psychological distress and allows them to excel in school and in society. “Educators hold a vital role in every student’s life,” Maxwell continued, “and when they fail to acknowledge or respect a student’s gender identity, it sends a harmful message to the entire student body — that it’s acceptable to marginalize and bully their transgender peers.
By affirming each student’s identity, educators not only protect their well-being but also foster a culture of respect and inclusion, setting a powerful example for everyone.” Before school started in 2017, Brownsburg Community School Corporation enacted a policy instructing teachers to refer to students using the names recorded in the school’s “Power School” database, which allows parents of transgender students, with the approval of a health care professional, to enter a name and pronouns for their child that is consistent with their gender identity.
