According to WBBH News in Florida, which first reported on the story, “pansexual” middle school art teacher says she was dismissed from her job for addressing sexuality with her kids.
Students at Trafalgar Middle School had inquired about Casey Scott’s sexual orientation, so she decided to open out to them about it. Scott saw that children had drawn flags indicating their personal sexuality in conjunction with the topic.
The Florida legislature approved a bill last year that prohibits public school teachers from addressing kids’ sexual orientation and gender identity. If the topic of the debate is judged inappropriate for the age of the pupils involved, the new rule restricts the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity to students of all ages.
Social media postings Smith said were from students who were outraged about her termination were shown to WBBH. However, when WBBH News spoke with district officials in Lee County, they learned of a number of grievances filed by parents and children alike.
As a newly hired teacher, she was within her school district’s legal rights to be terminated, argues the head of the local teachers’ union, Kevin Daly.
WBBH News asked Scott how she felt about the incident.
As Scott put it, he felt “really ashamed, I guess, disappointed, because I feel like it’s all my fault and I was just being myself.”
