Florida teacher sues state after being fired for using gender-neutral honorific “Mx.”
AV Schwandes, a nonbinary teacher, has filed a lawsuit against the Florida education department for discrimination after being fired for using the gender-neutral honorific “Mx.”
Schwandes, who uses “they/them” pronouns, started using “Mx.” at the start of the school year in their email signature at the Florida Virtual School. The school dismissed them when they refused to change the honorific to comply with Florida’s Parental Rights in Education act, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity and restricts the use of pronouns and titles that don’t align with a person’s birth sex. In response, Schwandes and two other Florida teachers have filed the lawsuit, alleging that the law violates their rights and discriminates against them based on sex.
In their statement, Schwandes said, “I lost my job, and maybe my career, because Florida lawmakers don’t want maturing young adults to know that I exist. Tolerance is a two-way street. Just as I respect the faith-based beliefs of others, my civil rights need to be respected because I am an American, and I do exist.”
The Florida Department of Education and the Florida Virtual School did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit. Last month, the Florida Virtual School stated that as a public school, they are obligated to follow Florida laws and regulations, including those pertaining to the use of personal titles and pronouns.
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