Educator who displayed Matt Walsh’s anti-trans book & got fired loses appeal

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

Educator who displayed Matt Walsh's anti-trans book & got fired loses appeal in free speech case

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/educator-who-displayed-matt-walshs-anti-trans-book-got-fired-loses-appeal-in-free-speech-case/ 🔗

John Russell (23 July 2026)

An Oregon education specialist who sued his school district after he was ordered to remove anti-trans children's books from his office lost his appeal this week.

In its 2-1 decision on Tuesday, a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a previous district court order denying Roderick Theis' request for a preliminary injunction in his First Amendment lawsuit against InterMountain Education Service District (IMESD).

A licensed clinical social worker who served as an education specialist with the district, Theis displayed the books He is He and She is She in his office at La Grande Middle School and anti-trans provocateur Matt Walsh's Johnny the Walrus in his Elgin School District office beginning in 2024.

Following a complaint about the presence of the books in his La Grande Middle School office when meeting with students, IMESD concluded that displaying the books constituted a bias incident in violation of its "Every Student Belongs" policy, adopted under Oregon law prohibiting discrimination in public education. The district ordered Theis to stop displaying the books, warning him that if he did not comply, he could face disciplinary action, including termination.

In its decision upholding the lower court ruling this week, the Ninth Circuit cited "the robust body of precedent holding that educators speak as government employees when they convey messages to students within the four walls of a school."

[Devlyn ✅]

Aww, poor Roderick won't be able to provide for his family. Oh, well... anybody want to go bowling? 🤣