Josh Alexander, a 16-year-old in the 11th grade at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in Canada, faced suspension this month for voicing his religious and moral concerns about the school’s transgender bathroom policy.
St. Joseph’s Catholic High School located in Renfrew, Ontario, permits males identifying as transgender girls to use female-designated bathrooms.
Alexander was initially suspended for opposing the school’s transgender policy in November on charges of “bullying.”
When he attempted to return to class on Feb. 6, he was suspended again and arrested for trespassing. He has since been released but is not allowed back at school until the end of the academic year.
In an EWTN News Nightly interview, Alexander, who identifies as Baptist, shared that once he began attending Catholic school, “very quickly I was informed by female students that male students were using the female washrooms; this was an issue that came up in class debate and I used that platform to share my opinions as every other student had the opportunity to do, and I quoted some Scripture, I said that there is only two genders. And apparently, because there [are] transgender students in the class, this was considered bullying.”
Alexander also raised his concerns regarding the transgender bathroom policy with school officials but felt ignored. Together with other concerned students, Alexander planned a protest at school but was unexpectedly suspended two days prior to the event last November.
The protest proceeded outside of the school as scheduled on Nov. 25. Local groups Arnpour Pride, Renfrew PRIDE, and PFLAG Canada-Renfrew County organized a counterprotest labeling Alexander’s group a “terror organization.” Life Site News reported that St. Joseph High School warned students joining Alexander’s protest they would lose access to school transportation.
St. Joseph’s argues that Alexander’s actions constitute bullying towards transgender students. However, Alexander stated during his EWTN interview that wasn’t his intention.
“My issue wasn’t with the individual students,” Alexander said. “I have an issue with the system that is going to encourage this form of misbehavior.”
“I do sympathize with the confused transgender students,” added Alexander, “because they’ve been wronged by their parents and by society and by the education system that has pushed this indoctrination on them. But at the same time that doesn’t mean I’m going to condone their wrongful behavior, especially when it’s a violation of my female peers’ privacy.”
The Renfrew County Catholic District School Board oversees St. Joseph High School along with 20 other schools in the area and addressed this matter through an “open letter” to its community.
“Bullying behavior that creates an unsafe space for our students is not tolerated … A trans person should not be required to use a separate washroom or change room because others express discomfort or transphobic attitudes such as ‘trans women are a threat to other women,’” Mark Searson, director of education at Renfrew County Catholic District School Board stated in a Feb. 13 announcement.
According to Ontario’s Human Rights Code, schools are expected to provide access to bathrooms corresponding with each student’s “lived gender identity.”
Alexander is represented by Liberty Coalition Canada law firm and intends to file a human rights complaint regarding his religious freedom rights being violated.
“There’s a lot of people who hate me but at the same time I don’t really care. I did what I believe was right; what was right before God so at the end of day I’m happy with that,” Alexander remarked.
Source link
Source link
