‘A hostile expression of animus toward … actual or perceived gender identity’
An Oregon school district is facing a lawsuit after it ordered a 17-year veteran social worker to remove several books from his desk work area that a co-worker had called “transphobic.”
According to the Alliance Defending Freedom, Rod Theis (pictured) had the books “He is He,” “She is She,” and “Johnny the Walrus” near the desk in his office as he was “inspired by the message of hope for children conveyed in the books.”
The books, Theis said, explain “how every child should embrace and love herself as God made her to be.”
But after seeing them, an employee complained to district officials about their “transphobic” nature. The InterMountain Education Service District followed up by ordering Theis to remove the books, saying they were “a hostile expression of animus toward another person relating to their actual or perceived gender identity.”
If he returned the books to their places or engaged in similar conduct, he would face “discipline, including termination of his employment,” Theis alleged.
The ADF noted, however, the district allows employees “to decorate their offices with personal items including paintings, photos, quotes, books, and even posters or statements that convey political messages.”
For example, the suit notes a district speech pathologist has in her office the book “What Should Danny Do?” along with “animals, toys, games, the American flag, and an inspirational quote: ‘In a world where YOU can be anything Be Yourself.’”
MORE: Teachers under investigation for allegedly wearing ‘Gulf of America’ t-shirts
Other employees’ items include teachers union-related material (“a picture of workers standing in a picket line and holding rainbow-colored signs that spell the word ‘UNIONS’”), a gay pride flag with the words “YOU ARE LOVED,” and a photo of Barack Obama saying “Yes, we can.”
Notably, Theis said his principal did not consider the books he displayed to be “offensive or inappropriate.”
According to its Amazon.com description, the book “She is She” “explores what it means to be female…and love it! Through rhyme and super cute illustrations this book counters the lies of gender spectrum politics and illuminates the beauty of what a girl is. It’s all about undeniable, biological, beautiful her!”
The lawsuit claims the InterMountain district established a “speech policy” which “forbids employees from expressing a biological view of sex but permits employees to express viewpoints that a person’s subjective identity determines whether a person is male or female, not a person’s sex.”
The ADF said “The district’s censorship of Theis’ message, and the speech policy on which that censorship was based, violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments.”
Theis seeks “an award of actual and nominal damages […] in an amount th[e] Court deems appropriate.”
MORE: Teacher fired for refusing to use student’s preferred pronouns gets $575K settlement
IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: Rod Theis poses with the books he was ordered to remove; Ryan Bomberger/X
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter
Please join the conversation about our stories on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MeWe, Rumble, Gab, Minds and Gettr.