Christian Teacher Forced Out for Not Following High School Transgender Policy

Michael Foust | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Updated: Jun 13, 2018

Christian Teacher Forced Out for Not Following High School Transgender Policy

A Christian high school teacher in Indiana ays he was forced out because he refused to follow a new policy that requires transgender students be called by their preferred name.

Brownsburg High School’s John Kluge, an orchestra leader who had been at the school four years, said he believed that calling the transgender student by the preferred name would cause the child harm in the long run.

“I really care about kids and I don’t want to do any harm to them,” he told Fox’s Todd Starnes at ToddStarnes.com. “I was talking to my pastor about the scenario of calling a student by an opposite-sex name and what harm I believe that would do to them.

“I remember breaking down and weeping at that scenario,” he added. “I cannot in good conscience do what I believe will cause harm.”

School administrators had been allowing teachers to refer to transgender students by their last name. But in February, that policy was rescinded, Kluge said.

“They told me to start using the transgender students opposite-sex names and if I was not willing to do that I would be terminated by May 1st,” Kluge, 28, told Starnes. “The other option they gave me was to resign so I could get paid over the summer.”

He resigned.

Kluge told WRTV he believes his First Amendment rights were violated. Alliance Defending Freedom has contacted the school on his behalf, and a lawsuit is possible.

 

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: June 13, 2018



Christian Teacher Forced Out for Not Following High School Transgender Policy