Transgender teacher files lawsuit against Pinellas schools over alleged discrimination regarding pronoun usage.

A former educator from Pinellas County has filed a federal lawsuit claiming he was compelled to resign due to the school district’s enforcement of Florida’s 2023 law concerning the use of preferred pronouns. Toby Tobin asserts that the district discriminated against him based on his gender identity, thereby violating federal protections outlined in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as affirmed by a recent Supreme Court ruling.

The lawsuit comes in response to the school district’s refusal to acknowledge Tobin as Mr. Tobin, a situation that arose after the new state law took effect. This legislation, which asserts that gender is an immutable biological trait, restricts public school employees from using pronouns divergent from a person’s biological sex and prohibits students from being required to do so. Tobin made efforts to engage with administrative avenues, including filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which was subsequently referred to the U.S. Department of Justice. As reported by his attorney, Gabe Roberts, the department initially showed interest but later withdrew after the change in presidential administration.

Presently residing outside of Florida with his family, Tobin remains determined to challenge the law that he argues infringes upon his rights. As a former fifth-grade math and science instructor at Cross Bayou Elementary, Tobin describes a past where he was openly acknowledged as a transgender male upon his hiring in 2021. However, the situation deteriorated following the enactment of the law regarding pronouns, leading to his unexpected resignation in July 2023, coinciding with the law’s effective date.

Tobin’s case exemplifies the growing tensions surrounding the implementation of this controversial legislation, which has sparked numerous disputes in educational settings across the state. Just earlier this month, another teacher in Brevard County lost her position for utilizing a student’s preferred pronouns without parental consent.

While the school district has refrained from commenting on pending litigation, the implications of such laws continue to reverberate within the educational landscape. Tobin’s attorney predicts that both the district and state will seek to dismiss the lawsuit, citing the legality of the law. Nonetheless, Roberts maintains that educators experiencing similar discrimination have the right to seek recourse under federal law.

In response to his departure from the classroom, Tobin has taken to writing, authoring a self-published children’s book titled “Call Me Mr. Tobin” that conveys a message of resilience and problem-solving to his former students. He emphasizes that transgender individuals do not advocate gender ideology within educational settings; rather, they seek to express their true identities.

As this case unfolds, it will be closely monitored within legal and educational circles, potentially impacting perceptions and policies surrounding gender identity and expression in schools across Florida and beyond.