Judge rules straight, cis principal can't be the victim of anti-LGBTQ+ discriminationShe says her civil rights were violated after she stood up for LGBTQ+ people. A judge disagrees.
Link to Full ArticleLGBTQ Nation - Mira Lazine
Monday, September 30, 2024
A federal judge ruled last Wednesday that the principal of a Minnesota school district is not protected from alleged retaliation due to her advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals, nor is she protected under the First Amendment.
The case, Thomas v. Marshall Pub Schs, concerns former Marshall, Minnesota middle school principal Mary Kay Thomas, who installed pride flags at school and established a Gay-Straight Alliance. She alleges that she was discriminated against when the school board and superintendent removed her from her position following controversy surrounding her inclusive actions, which were allegedly done against the requests of board members and the superintendent, as well as numerous members of the faculty.
She argued that the board violated Title VII, Title IX, and the First Amendment since she was protecting marginalized groups. Title VII and Title IX protect marginalized groups from discrimination in both employment and education...
But U.S. District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said that because she is a self-described "straight, cisgender woman," she is not subject to the same protections as LGBTQ+ people. Title VII and Title IX only protect marginalized groups from legal retaliation, not actions on behalf of them. As such, the judge ruled them inapplicable.----------
