A Tucson school district says students must either use educators’ preferred pronouns or refrain from using gendered language, claiming their right to free speech doesn’t apply — even if it goes against their religious beliefs.
In an email to a father last week, Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) Superintendent Denise Bartlett said that his son needed to censor his speech and restrain himself from exhibiting his true beliefs to avoid insulting a “nonbinary” substitute teacher. Bartlett indicated that “disrespect” to others didn’t constitute free speech.
“I agree that your children should not be compelled to use pronouns that conflict with their religious beliefs, but they also may not disrespect other people by intentionally using pronouns or titles […] that are not preferred by the person in question,” said Bartlett. “The best solution is for your student not to use any titles or pronouns when speaking to or about people under these circumstances.”
Bartlett offered Grossenbach some instruction for his son on conflict avoidance: the student ought to use general and vague terms to allude to the “nonbinary” teacher in question. Bartlett indicated that the students were responsible for mollifying educators by changing their approach to reality.
“Instead of saying ‘Ms. Jones’ for example, your children can say ‘Teacher Jones.’ Instead of saying, ‘I am going to his class’, your children can say ‘I am going to that teacher’s class,’” said Bartlett. “This will allow your children not to compromise their religious beliefs and avoid missing out on learning while also treating the teacher or person in question with respect.”
This is happening in Tucson, Arizona 👇👇 https://t.co/Xhq6wVKkQ5
— Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (@ScottsdaleUnite) January 22, 2025
The father, Dan Grossenbach, submitted his complaint to Bartlett last week requesting “an equivalent alternative educational option” in “another classroom environment” after a substitute high school Spanish teacher allegedly required his son to adhere to transgender ideology by denying God’s creation of male and female, and directing his son to use “non-sex-based and grammatically incorrect” pronouns last November. Grossenbach alleged that these orders from a teacher constituted civil rights violations.
“We teach our son to respect authority and to love everyone regardless of disagreements or animosity. Much like the Josephson Institute’s Aristotelian virtue-based ethical system ‘The Six Pillars of Character’ taught to him at Canyon View elementary, we likewise teach him that ‘respect’ means to support others in their human capacity as they are designed to flourish,” wrote Grossenbach. “This can run contrary to some contemporary notions of love which instead prioritizes the pursuit of desire over virtue.”
Grossenbach advised Bartlett in his email that the federal court ruling in the case Tennessee v. Cardona rejected compelled speech and viewpoint discrimination in the classroom. The father also questioned whether the substitute teacher’s alleged misconduct violated CFSD’s nondiscrimination policy. The policy prohibits discrimination pertaining to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ethnicity, religion, creed, age, and disability.
Grossenbach further claimed that the Supreme Court’s decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission protected the free exercise of religious beliefs, even where irrationality or offensiveness may be perceived.
Prior to contacting Bartlett, Grossenbach said he was unable to resolve their family’s problem with Catalina Foothills High School Principal Chris Lambert.
CFSD is contracted with the Arizona-based company, Educational Services Inc. for substitute teachers.