Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

November 2019 – In May, an Ohio sixth-grader (called “John Doe”) was punished for using male pronouns when addressing a fellow male student (“Boy A”). Doe insisted his classmate was a boy and not a girl, though Boy A requested to be addressed with female pronouns.

An art teacher heard Doe’s conversation with other students who were equally dismayed by the school’s required use of inaccurate pronouns for Boy A. As punishment, Doe was forced to sit out during PE class, and the assistant principal contacted his mother. Other students received punishment as severe as suspension.

Doe’s mother reached out to Liberty Counsel (LC), which intervened through a letter to the school district. Complying with LC’s written request, the district removed all record of Doe’s punishment and promised no future punishment for students expressing respectful disagreement on similar issues.

“Schools cannot force students to lie about objective reality,” said LC founder Mat Staver.

lc.org, 8/6/19; cbn.com, 8/8/19