A Brownsburg, Illinois teacher says he is fighting for his job after the district forced him to resign over its transgender student policy.
According to the IndyStar, John Kluge, a former teacher at Brownsburg High School, said the school district's requirement that teachers call transgender students by their preferred names, rather than those given at birth, goes against his religious beliefs. He claims the requirement violates his First Amendment rights.
"I’m fine to teach students with other beliefs, but the fact that teachers are being compelled to speak a certain way is the scary thing,” Kluge said.
Officials with Brownsburg Community Schools declined to comment to the IndyStar on the district's transgender student policies. A district representative said that Kluge submitted his resignation and the administration accepted it.
Kluge, an orchestra teacher, claims he only submitted a tentative letter of resignation because the district threatened to fire him - and then requested the letter be withdrawn.
Video: Fox News.