One Ohio college professor who rejected his school’s orders regarding the use of trans pronouns has won his first amendment case.
According to media reports, Professor Nicholas Meriwether from Shawnee State University turned heads after going against his workplace’s rules and regulations for calling trans students’ by their respective pronouns. But if you think that would affect him, think again.
The teacher took the case up to the Federal Court as it was something that he simply did not believe in. And for that reason, he felt the need to justify his matter before an appeals court recently.
In a unanimous ruling, carried out by the 6th US circuit court of appeals, it was reported how Shawnee State University went against Professor Nicholas Meriwether’s rights in terms of freedom of speech as well as freedom of exercise of one’s religion.
The court announced that the university punished the Ohio-based professor for resisting the school’s rules, that in other words, forced him to address his students in the context of their liking.
Professor Meriwether is a devout Christian who teaches philosophy. He took a bold stance against his workplace by suing Shawnee State. And that was where he mentioned how it was mandatory for all to use certain terms that go in conflict with his religious beliefs that the topic of gender is fixed, right from the start of conception.
Meanwhile, the court’s decision was written out by a judge who appointed an entire bench during the reign of former President Donald Trump. This was issued on Friday, which upheld the professor’s argument.
Meriwether, who was an integral part of the university’s faculty was reprimanded in the year 2016, right after one trans student complained how he failed to use ‘Mr’ instead of ‘Ms.’ Now, the ruling paves way for the professor to carry out a lawsuit that would seek damages.