A Florida law judge has ruled in favor of a Miami teacher who was fired for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronouns, calling transgenderism a “new secular faith” in his controversial ruling.
The teacher, Yojary Mundaray, told a student during a 2019 classroom exchange that she would not use their desired pronouns due to her Christian beliefs that “God makes no mistakes.”
The student — referred to as “Pat” in the decision — told administrators at Jose de Diego Middle School about Mundaray’s comments and the teacher was eventually terminated after an investigation.
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“Advocates of transgenderism can be as doctrinaire as religious zealots these days,” he wrote in his decision. “As this case demonstrates, adhering to the traditional view that gender is biologically determined can get a person excommunicated, from a job in this instance.”
According to the decision, the student, born a biological female, asked to be addressed with male pronouns.
After Mundaray explained that her Christian beliefs forbid her from doing so, the student said “God made a mistake.”
“I’m a Christian, and my God made no mistakes,” Mundaray replied.
Pat argued that the educator was unfairly imposing her religious views in the classroom and Mundaray was sacked in June 2020.
But Van Laningham rejected that reasoning, arguing that Mundaray was expressing her own beliefs.
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The judge went on to cast transgender people and their supporters as adherents of a “new secular faith.”
“Advocates of transgenderism can be as doctrinaire as religious zealots these days,” he wrote.
Van Laningham also highlighted new Florida legislation spearheaded by Gov. Ron DeSantis that directs schools to identify kids by their biological birth sex.
Under the current policy, he said, Mundaray would not have faced any repercussions.
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In opting to terminate her, the school said Mundaray’s actions left the student in tears and that her “personal conduct … seriously reduced her effectiveness as an employee of the school district” according to the News Service of Florida.
Mundarray was unavailable for comment on her case. The Education Practices Commission will now issue a final ruling on her case.
* ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
https://nypost.com/2023/10/05/florida-judge-exonerates-miami-teacher-fired-for-refusing-to-use-students-preferred-pronouns/amp/