A biology teacher was fired after students disagreed in his biology class about the XX and XY chromosomes. Professor Johnson Varkey was accused of having discriminatory speeches against transgender and gay people.
He was fired in January 2023, but the case took place in November 2022 in the United States in the city of San Antonio, Texas.
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Varkey taught classes at St. Philip's College and is now struggling to get back to work. Because of the backlash of the case, he is being legally represented by the First Liberty Institute, a group of lawyers that defends the religious freedom of Americans.
According to the teacher's legal representatives, Varkey was fired for teaching biology the way he has done for the last 20 years of work.
For them, the teacher did not act in a prejudiced way and should be rehired to continue his teaching career.
Why was the biology teacher fired?
Despite not having been fired for cause, the allegations are that the teacher used his classes to carry out religious preaching and utter several prejudiced comments about transgender-and-s and homosexuals. Furthermore, he is accused of having “anti-abortionist rhetoric” and “misogynistic banter” in the classroom.
The defense attorneys' statement said the professor's statements "are not only supported by his extensive education and experience, but also reflect his sincere religious beliefs."
Therefore, the defense's statements go along the lines that he was only teaching about the reproductive system and that XX and XY chromosomes determine male and female characteristics, which is scientifically correct.
Furthermore, Varkey asserted, also correctly, that for the continuity of the human species it is necessary for there to be reproduction between men and women.
However, the students' complaints also point out that the teacher's class "exceeded the limits of academic freedom with his personal opinions, which were offensive to many people in the classroom. classroom".
Because of these alleged attacks, on November 28, 2022, four students decided to leave Varkey's classes and denounce the supposedly repeated discriminatory speeches by the teacher of biology.
After investigating the facts, St. Philip's College concluded that the professor, despite his extensive scientific curriculum, was "being religious" in the classroom.
Another statement, made by the main defense attorney, Kayla Toney, says that it is necessary to support and defend the teacher against discrimination in the workplace.
According to her, Johnson Varkey has his particular faith, which does not interfere at all in his teaching practice, and, with the accusations, the institution violated constitutional rights by dismissing him.