US professor rebuked for refusing to use transgender student's pronouns wins $400k payout

[zanahoria]

^An American university has agreed to pay $400,000 in damages to a professor who refused to use a transgender student's chosen pronouns.

Nicholas Meriwether, a philosophy professor at Shawnee State University in Ohio, launched a lengthy legal battle after he was rebuked for refusing to call a transgender student by female pronouns.

Mr Meriwether, a devout Christian, argued the university violated his constitutional rights by infringing on his right to freedom of speech and compelling him to go against his religious beliefs^

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/19/us-professor-rebuked-refusing-use-transgender-students-pronouns/

“Dr Meriwether went out of his way to accommodate his students and treat them all with dignity and respect, yet his university punished him because he wouldn’t endorse an ideology that he believes is false."

Wow! This will have a lot of repercussions in the USA and maybe even over here

I feel that despite all my concerns about the current trans movement I would address someone by their chosen pronouns.

And of course I don’t know this person’s full views but I’m pretty sure his views on transgender people and refusal to go along with it was not driven by concerns for women

I’m really uncomfortable being on the ‘same side’ as the American Christian Right to be honest

God, it’s only common courtesy to call someone whatever they want to be called.
There are so many more important hills, peppering this whole debate, that people could choose to die on.

Ultimately it’s about compelled speech. I would certainly object if someone referred to me as a cis women. Such a category does not exist.
If you believe there are men and women and that it then you can in good conscience call someone she/her if you know they are a he/him

I would use somebody's preferred pronouns out of politeness and courtesy, but I certainly don't think this should be compelled or anybody should suffer detriment if they don't feel they can go along with what they feel to be a fiction.

Ultimately it’s about compelled speech

Absolutely. You either think that’s okay or you don’t.

Good for him!

What does the law say on this matter ?

If you read a bit more into the background of this. It seems that the Professor accidentally misgendered a student once and after that used their surname.
The student complained about this. There was no conflict or rudeness by the professor, he just didn't want to use the preferred pronouns.
The professor has applied the law as it stands in the US around free speech and the right to due process. The university were in the wrong.

I find it incredibly difficult to ignore what my eyes see. I had a young couple in front of me last week and the 'he' was obviously female and really discombobulated me by continually using 'her' for the young man sitting there. My notes ended up ridiculous to read and I had to keep correcting my speech. Perfectly pleasant young people but argggg. Pleased to read this outcome.

Nonsense. When I see a transwoman, I see a man. Forcing me to refer to him as ‘she’ is forcing me to ignore my own senses (and actual reality) in order to prioritise his feelings. Telling me to use she/her is telling me that my feelings and my beliefs do not matter, only his delusion is important and that must reign supreme.

It’s psychologically extremely harmful to everyone involved.

Also, calling someone a woman because of how the dress / some pantomine-style camp act they put on is extremely offensive to women.

(Please refer to me as “The Wise One Who Is Always Right” as that is how I identify)

It's compelled speech and also compelling someone to lie i.e. refer to a man as a woman. If it's against your faith to lie (and even if you don't have a faith) then you shouldn't be legally forced to do so.