In an incident that’s sparking debate about the reach of school administrators, two students at Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California, found themselves serving a five-day suspension, not for typical disciplinary issues, but for the act of misgendering a classmate.
This information was revealed by a local group, GUSD Parents Voices. To complete their punishment, these students were also mandated to participate in ‘restorative justice’ training.
Former principal of the school, Jennifer Earl, disclosed this situation in an email exchange reported by the New York Post.
A previous district employee had sought clarification about the actions taken to address this issue, emphasizing that students should realize the seriousness of their actions.
Earl explained, “I suspended two students for five days each today and will be conducting [restorative justice] with students and teacher for [the misgendering]… In interviewing them, they admitted to being curious about a transgender person.”
The incident raises questions about the limits of authority within the educational system.
No legal mandate exists, as of now, requiring specific pronoun usage.
Consequently, this episode has left many wondering if school authorities are overstepping their boundaries by imposing such penalties and diverting educational resources towards social issues.
During the disciplinary process, Earl also consulted with the teacher involved, asking, “if he wanted me to just teach them about misgendering or would he like me to speak about being trans. He asked me to educate on transgender. It was well received from students and parents. [Restorative justice] will happen after suspension.”
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This instance underscores an increasing trend in schools focusing less on core academic subjects and more on social and political matters.
Critics argue that this shift is not in the best interest of students’ education, and schools should prioritize academic excellence over navigating social politics.
While the Glendale Unified School District promotes restorative practices in its schools and even established a “Restorative Practices Advisory Task Force” in 2018, it is essential to question if this focus has started overshadowing basic academic education.
The district maintains its stance that misgendering is categorized as bullying, dependent on the perceived intent of the student, as shared in a statement to Fox News.
They stated, “A student has never been punished, much less suspended, for accidentally using the wrong pronoun to refer to a peer or staff member. However, a student could be suspended if the action escalated to harassment or bullying.”
This issue poses a significant question about the primary role of schools: should they stick to their fundamental mission of imparting academic knowledge or dabble in teaching societal norms and political correctness?
As we move forward, the answer to this question will likely shape the future of education.
