Teacher fired for ‘refusing to use transgender student’s chosen pronouns’

The teacher is claiming unfair dismissal against the college

Kevin Lister is claiming unfair dismissal by New College Swindon after he was sacked for gross misconduct in September 2022.

Lister had refused to referred to a 17-year-student by their preferred male name name and he/him pronouns in A-level lessons, Sky News reports.

The teenager, known only as Student A, is biologically female but informed the college in September 2021 that they wished to be addressed by a boy's name and use male pronouns.

Lister was sacked after Student A's friend made a formal complaint about his conduct.

Lister claims that the student's desire to be addressed with male pronouns had the effect of "compelled speech", forcing the teacher and other students to follow their wish irrespective of their own beliefs.

The gender-critical teacher "took issue with the demand on me to socially transition children who are unable to make an informed decision."

He claimed the school's policy was intended to "encourage children to socially transition and to push them towards transgender lobby groups.

"It is not the role of a maths teacher to confirm the gender transition and social transition of a student," he added.

Lister claimed the college policies went beyond the Equality Act and were therefore "illegal."

But the barrister representing the college said the holding gender-critical beliefs shouldn't be a barrier to staff members being "inclusive and treating people with respect".

Meanwhile, the college's student experience manager, Charlotte Best, told the hearing that Lister "created humiliation in the classroom" with his conduct.

She said his behaviour "amounted to harassment and bullying," the BBC reports.

The hearing heard that Lister would point at the student instead of using their preferred pronouns.

On one occasions, the student asked whether they could enter a nationwide maths competition for girls. The teacher replied: "Of course you can enter because you are a girl."

He also wrote Student A's "dead name" on the whiteboard, because this would be the "name she would be using to enter her into the girls' maths competition."

The hearing continues.

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