10 November 2023 , 11:40
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A nonbinary teacher in Florida has been fired for having students use a gender neutral title to address them.
AV Vary, a teacher at Florida Virtual School for 15 years, said they were given a letter in which the school said only Ms, Mrs, and Miss were acceptable to use. However, after using a gender-neutral title, they were fired last week from the school after asking to be addressed by "Mx" rather than "Mrs."
Vary was informed by the school that gender-neutral titles were a violation of an expansion of the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The law prompted schools across Florida to stop the use of "they/them" pronouns and nicknames.
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The teacher revealed they talked to the headteacher about their desire to go by a gender-neutral title but "he didn't say anything at first". However, a month later Vary claims they were told it had become an issue. After trying to find a compromise and use other gender-neutral titles, they were rebuffed and told they wouldn't work either.
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“I was told that professor was not okay, Dr. was not okay for me because I didn’t have a Ph.D., but there are lots of people at FLVS who do use Dr., which, coincidentally, is also in violation of the same law I got disciplined for,” they told local news station WMNF.
Vary refused attempts by the headteacher to make them go by the title "Ms", and it was soon decided the teacher would be fired. They have also filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and want to challenge the law, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The teacher was fired from the school after 15 years of service (Getty Images)“I feel very strongly in standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves,” Vary told local paper Orlando Sentinel. “I didn’t ever say, ‘Hey! I’m non-binary’,” they added. “We had physics to do."
“As a Florida public school, FLVS is obligated to follow Florida laws and regulations pertaining to public education,” a district spokesperson said in a statement to WFLA. “This includes laws such as section 1000.071(3) of the Florida Statutes pertaining to the use of Personal Titles and Pronouns within Florida’s public school system.”
According to reports, Florida's teacher shortage has hit a record high, with over 7,000 vacancies for teachers and support staff. The Florida Education Association (FEA) has blamed the thousands of school vacancies on the restrictive education policies recently implemented by Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.
The FEA’s president Andrew Spar told Newsweek that teachers “don’t want to be in a profession in a state where they’re constantly being criticised on falsehoods so that the governor can further his political ambition.
In a statement to Advocate, spokesperson Laura Neff-Henderson said: “As a Florida public school, FLVS is obligated to follow Florida laws and regulations pertaining to public education.”