After advocating for anti-discrimination policy Lesbian teacher is suspended

An art teacher in Dallas, Texas has been suspended from her school after advocating for the district to update its anti-discrimination policy to include LGBT+ people. Stacy Bailey, a former “teacher of the year” at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School, wrote an email last year to several board members in the Mansfield Independent School District to begin an open dialogue about the anti-discrimination policies currently in place.

“Currently it only includes the language ’race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age and disability,'” Bailey wrote in her email, requesting that “sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression” be added like it has in other Texas districts.

“I think it is important that MISD starts movement towards progress now,” she continued. “We have many LGBTQ teachers, students, and families in this district. We deserve the right to feel protected by our district… As a teacher who loves to teach and my community, I would like for us to be on the correct side of history this time.”

She also wrote to other schools in the district to conduct research on “gay/straight alliance” groups and what support networks were in place for current LGBT+ students.

On September 8th, the day after she sent out these emails, Bailey received a letter she would be suspended with pay “until an investigation is completed.” There was no explanation for why this disciplinary action was taken.

A group of over 40 parents from the school took to school board meeting last month in support of the teacher. “She brings diversity to this classroom that is lacking in so many schools and in so many districts today,” one parent said. “She accepts my child for who she is and she loves her for it. I’m perplexed how this person who everyone seems to adore can be kept from our children.”

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