Florida Judge Cites ‘Transgender Ideology’ in Ruling Siding with Teacher Fired for Misgendering Trans Student

A judge in Florida has sided with a Miami-Dade County middle school teacher who was fired after she misgendered a trans student because of her religious beliefs.

Judge John Van Laningham said the county erred when it fired Yojary E. Mundaray following an incident that took place in December 2019 at the Jose de Diego Middle School in Miami, as reported by the News Service of Florida. A commission found she had violated district policies when she misgendered a trans youth and was subsequently fired. Judge Van Laningham recommended the state’s Education Practices Commission, which is responsible for disciplining teachers, should exonerate Mundaray, noting the science teacher would be protected for such speech under the current ‘don’t say gay’ laws enacted under Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Van Langingham wrote in his decision the case was “not about proselytizing but about transgender ideology.” He misgendered the student and used the pseudonym “Pat” where elsewhere in court documents the student, who identifies as male, was referred to as “S.S.”

In a footnote, Van Laningham further disparaged the trans community.

“Advocates of transgenderism can be as doctrinaire as religious zealots these days,” Van Laningham wrote. “As this case demonstrates, adhering to the traditional view that gender is biologically determined can get a person excommunicated, from a job in this instance.”

According to court records, Mundaray used the student’s biological name and female pronouns while disciplining him for what the judge described as “routine classroom horseplay.” The student told Mundaray he now identified as a boy and requested she use male pronouns when addressing him. Mundaray declined, citing her Christian beliefs.

“I think God made a mistake,” Van Laningham wrote the student said during the incident.

“I’m a Christian,” Mundaray reportedly responded, “and my God made no mistakes.”

An official investigation at the time found that Mundaray had “imposed her personal religious views on S.S., a sixth-grade student” and caused “S.S. to become upset and/or cry.”

The investigation determined that probable cause existed that she had violated existing policies. She was terminated from her position in June 2020.

The case now goes back to the Education Practices Commission to review Van Langingham’s decision and weigh whether or not to reinstate Mundaray.