Ohio School District is being sued for allegedly punishing students for “misgendering” peers.
A lawsuit filed by Parents Defending Education claims that Olentangy Local School District in Ohio violates students’ First Amendment rights by punishing them for “misgendering” their peers.
The policy allegedly extends to off-campus communication and private text messages on students’ personal cell phones, requiring students to use the individual’s “preferred pronouns.”
Students who refuse are subject to “disciplinary action,” according to the lawsuit. The district’s Personal Communication Devices policy also prohibits material that “can be construed as harassment or disparagement of others” based on various categories, and students who violate the policy may have their personal devices confiscated or could even be expelled.
PDE vice president Caroline Moore told the Daily Caller News Foundation, “The ‘harassment’ policies at Olentangy impinge on basic constitutional rights and are overbroad in a way that polices students’ speech both inside and outside of the classroom.”
“We feel deeply for what these students and their families have gone through day in and day out during their time in the District. We look forward to championing their First Amendment rights,” she added.
Olentangy Local School District did not respond to a request for comment.
