US: Trans teacher still banned from classroom, after being fired and reinstated

A transgender teacher who was fired by a Texas school says she is being kept away from the classroom, despite officially being reinstated.

Laura Jane Klug had been teaching as a substitute at Lumberton Intermediate School, but has said she was told not to return to her classes after parents said they were concerned that their children might be “distracted” because she is transgender.

She was officially reinstated after a school board meeting on April 10, and at the time said she was “relieved” to have her job back.

However, Klug said this week that despite publicly being reinstated, she has not received any teaching assignments, and has now been asked to relocate to a position outside of the classroom.

She told LoneStarQ that she accepted the position that keeps her away from children, because she needs the money and can’t afford to turn work down.

She said: “I said I’m willing to do whatever because I really need a paycheck. It doesn’t make me very happy, but I think it should placate them [the parents] somewhat.

“I was asked not to say where I was working because we don’t want the media and we don’t want angry parents down there, because it’s near one of the schools.”

Klug, a pilot by trade, added: “I’m afraid that all this attention that I’ve gotten throughout the entire situation might have ruined my chances of every finding pilot employment.”

• Dec 06 2023

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