PASCO COUNTY, FL -- Pasco County Public School administrators have threatened a male P.E. teacher who had a conscience-based objection to supervising a gender-confused girl who has full access to disrobe and even shower in the boys’ locker room and open showers.

Administrators tried to force the male teacher to directly supervise and observe the girl while showering naked in the boys’ open shower. The girl remains free to enter the boys’ locker room and open showers at any time.

According to the male coach, the school district lawyer warned him, “you know this might cost you your job.” “Your teacher certificate might be taken from you, to where you can no longer teach.” “Because there’s no policy for a black and white student to be able to change together, the district doesn’t need a policy for a transgender boy to change with the other boys.” When using the words, “a transgender boy,” the attorney is referring to a girl who wants to be identified as a boy.

Kathy Scalise, the Director of the Office for Employee Relations, in an email discussing sending the teacher home on administrative leave, wrote: “I think it sends a clear message that we will not tolerate his behavior.” School administrators wanted to punish the male teacher for objecting to supervising an undressing, nude, or showering minor female in the boys’ locker room. 

School personnel adopted a harmful, unauthorized “policy” and practice of promoting LGBT ideology in violation of the rights of students, parents, and teachers, all without school board approval. The Pasco County School Board must take immediate action and stop the harmful behavior at Chasco Middle School and elsewhere in the district resulting from a so-called “Gender Support Plan” and “Best Practices Guide.”

The Pasco County School Board should protect the rights of students, parents, and teachers, by: 

1. Prohibiting any retaliatory action against Chasco Middle School P.E. teachers for standing for the dignity and privacy of other students and the rights of their parents. 

2. Rejecting and replacing “Best Practices Guide” and “Gender Support Plan” with a legal policy recognizing parents as primary authority to guide their own children; recognizing biological sex as the standard for district single-sex facilities and programs; and recognizing conscience rights of students and employees. 

3. Rejecting all classroom LGBT political activism, including the “LGBTQ History Coloring Book” which the school psychologist, Jackie Jackson-Dean, encourages other teachers to use “in [their] classroom[s].” 

4. Requiring parental permission for all clubs and all third-party referrals outside the district, like Lake County Public Schools. 

“The Pasco County School Board cannot force a male teacher to directly supervise and observe a girl showering in the open shower for boys,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “School administrators have lost their minds. They must protect the rights and privacy of students, teachers, and parents and reject these ludicrous, unauthorized policies and practices,” said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.