In siding with a Miami teacher who had been fired for not using a transgender student’s preferred pronouns, a Florida court referred to transgenderism as a “new secular faith” in his decision.
A Christian educator named Yojary Mundaray said in 2019 that she would not use her students’ preferred pronouns because “God makes no mistakes.”
The student, referred to only by his initials in the judgment as “Pat,” filed a formal complaint against Mundaray, leading to the educator’s termination.
On Monday, administrative law judge John Van Laningham stated that the teacher had been wrongly fired and formally requested that he be exonerated. He ruled that transgender rights advocates can be as inflexible in their beliefs as religious extremists. This case illustrates how the conviction that one’s gender is fixed can result in professional consequences.
The student, born female but now sees themselves as a guy, formally requested that male pronouns be used and was accommodated. The youngster claimed that God must have made a mistake after Mundaray said she could not do so due to her Christian beliefs.
The Christian God I serve, Mundaray explained, is perfect and never errs.
After Pat complained that Mundaray was using her position as a teacher to promote her personal religious beliefs, Mundaray was fired in June of that year.
However, Van Laningham countered that Mundaray was merely expressing her opinion.
He claims that the most Mundaray could have argued is that God is inerrant, a theological view lacking much conviction. Furthermore, she acted solely to safeguard the deity she worships.
The verdict portrayed transgender people and their sympathizers as members of a new secular religion.
He said current transgender rights campaigners can be just as dogmatic as religious extremists.
Van Laningham also mentioned the new law enacted by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that mandates using a student’s biological gender in school enrollment and identifying purposes.
He argues that the current rules would not have held Mundaray accountable for his acts.
