A Wyoming substitute school teacher who refused to call transgender-identifying students by their preferred names has been banned from teaching at a high school in the Laramie County School District. His job is currently under review by multiple other schools, but he insisted that he won’t back down from his stance on the names issue.
Gene Clemetson said that it all began at East High School in Cheyenne when a transgender student, who he described as a biological male, asked to be called by a female name during an attendance roll call.
“I said to him, very politely, I have to go by the name on the roster,” Clemetson told the Cowboy State Daily.
The student returned with another teacher, who informed Clemetson that the student’s parents had given the school permission to call their child by an alternate name.
Clemetson responded, “Well that’s great, but again, if I’m calling the attendance, if I’m calling the roll, I’m going by the names officially registered with the district.”
The principal intervened and told Clemetson that he did not fit in at the school and was not welcome back.
