A former Indiana orchestra teacher claims he was forced to resign due to his employer’s transgender policy.

John Kluge, until recently a teacher at Brownsburg High School, says he recently refused to follow a rule requiring instructors to call students by their preferred names and address them by the pronouns of their choice.

The guidelines regarding transgender students were given to teachers at the beginning of this year, in the form of an 11-page outline.

Kluge, who has worked at Brownsburg for four years, believes the mandate violates his religious convictions and his First Amendment rights:

“I’m being compelled to encourage students in what I believe is something that’s a dangerous lifestyle. 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.”

While Kluge contends he was forced to leave, a school spokeswoman tells HuffPost he quit of his own volition.

“This teacher voluntarily submitted his resignation prior to the end of the school year. The resignation was accepted by the administration.”

Furthermore, she asserts, the school “complies with all state and federal laws.”

In addition to requiring teachers to address transgender students according to their preference, the school also allows trans kids to “use the restroom of their choice.”

Not good.

Initially, the 28-year-old educator reported to the Indianapolis Star that he and administrators had agreed to a compromise wherein he would call students by their last names. However, a few months ago, he was told that would no longer be possible.

Kluge explains he was forced out at a “very threatening and bullying type of meeting” with higher-ups.

While the Indiana Family Institute has supported him, Twitter has provided a battleground for both sides.

Hoosiers:

Brownsburg High School Orchestra teacher John Kluge needs our help. The administration will fire him if he does not get on board with the transgender agenda.

School board meeting – June 11
Full story & link to send message to board members:https://t.co/oXMDbK9a5l

— IN Family Institute (@indianafamily) June 5, 2018

John Kluge is a great example of holding onto your beliefs and doing it with kindness. We need more truly kind people and refrain from discouraging those that display that virtue. https://t.co/3W7RDjbtaC

— Paul Eugene Cox (@cox1paul) June 5, 2018

John Kluge claims his district's policy for respecting trans students' chosen names violates his religious liberties. 🙄

It's not hard, respect trans identities! https://t.co/e4eQuwH9Rz

— Logo 🏳️‍🌈 (@LogoTV) June 6, 2018

Folks, I need everyone to look up what is happening to my friend #JohnKluge. The hatred for him is out of control – they want to control language and deny basic biology. https://t.co/qzoccQgudk

— iroots.org (@irootsorg) June 6, 2018

Religious beliefs do not override basic human rights! Teacher, #JohnKluge, says school's transgender name policy goes against his religious beliefs https://t.co/VzTsVTKX5z via @usatoday #Bigotry #Veterans #UniteBlue #Progressives #Millennials #LGBTQ @Brownsburg_CSC @HRC

— cowboytexas🇺🇸🌊 (@cowboytexas) June 6, 2018

Kluge intends to appeal to keep his job at a schoold board meeting on June 11th.

Surely, cases such as these are going to increase. And eventually, one will reach the Supreme Court. Will the justices side with religious freedom, as in the case of the Colorado baker Monday? Will they vote against science and free speech, bolstering a public school’s ability to force people into compliance? What about the use of opposite sex bathrooms, which violate girls’ privacy by allowing guys to come into their restrooms and locker rooms?

To be clear, this article — and the photo representing it — is not meant to denigrate those who are suffering from identity issues. The photo is intended to indicate societal change, and my focus here is John Kluge’s rights, as well as the rights of other students at the school.

Whatever the fate of Kluge’s case in particular, and the issue in general, we have truly jumped the shark in society when a man or woman is punished for not telling a boy he is a girl, or vice versa. And when a school is the entity demanding it.

How do you think this case is going to turn out? What about the broader issue? Please let me know in the Comments section below.

For a totally different story related to trans issues, check out my article on Bradley/Chelsea Manning.

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