Today we briefly mentioned the importance of states enacting laws to protect against workplace discrimination, particularly on the basis of sexuality. This is an article about a story of my really good family friend's neighbor. Stacy was an elementary art school teacher in Texas who was introducing herself on the first day, which included a picture of her and her wife. This got back to a parent who complained of this. The teacher was put on paid leave from her job.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/us/gay-teachers-wife-texas.html
I was interested in the defense used by the teacher's attorney: "All for one main reason, the lawsuit says: 'Plaintiff is lesbian/gay and was born that way.'" This is another example we see that underscores an essentialist legal defense. I simply wonder whether there are examples of actual legal arguments which follow Leslie Rupp's proposed move towards sexuality protection modeled on religious protections?
ReplyDeleteI also find it fascinating that the school did not fire her, but rather chose to put her on paid leave. I wonder whether the school recognized past challenges to firing on the basis of sexual orientation?