A teacher in Florida, who identifies as “pansexual,” was reportedly fired this week after discussing her sexual orientation with her middle school students.
The New York Post reported that middle school art teacher Casey Scott from Cape Coral said her students were curious about her sexual orientation. She explained to them that she is “pansexual,” meaning she is attracted to all people regardless of sex or gender identity.
Scott reportedly had her students create flags representing their sexuality or gender identity, “ranging from transgender and non-binary to gay.” The flags were hung on her classroom door before school officials asked Scott to remove the flags and toss them. She then crumpled up the flags and put them in the recycling bin.
In an on-air interview with local outlet NBC 2, Scott recounted what happened and revealed that the school fired her.
“A discussion happened in class, and because of that, now I’m fired,” Scott said in the interview.
Scott was sent home from school after the incident and then received a call that she was being released from her contract. However, the school showed NBC 2 complaints from parents who were concerned about the classroom discussion and the assignment to create the flags. Students confirmed that Scott told their class she is pansexual.
Scott told NBC 2 that several of her middle school-aged students approached her and said that they are bisexual, gay and non-binary.
“A lot of the kids came out to me like ‘oh, I’m non-binary,’ and a couple kids said ‘oh, well I’m bi [bisexual].’ One kid said they’re gay,” Scott told NBC 2. She showed on-camera images of the flags the students created, including the transgender flag.
Last month, Julio covered how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed the state’s Parental Rights in Education bill into law, which prohibits school educators from teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity with students below third grade.
Flanked by small schoolchildren, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signs the Parental Rights in Education (or "Don’t Say Gay") bill into law. pic.twitter.com/uLdGsYplGV
— The Recount (@therecount) March 28, 2022