A SOUTH DAKOTA TEACHER TOLD STUDENTS HE WANTED TO “RESCUE” THEM FROM BEING TRANS.
After a South Dakota student requested to change their pronouns, educator Calvin Hillesland responded with a transphobic letter. A group of high-school students from conservative Watertown, South Dakota, are now fighting back against the teacher.
Hillesland, a german teacher, responded to a request from a student to acknowledge their preferred pronouns with a letter denying the existence of trans people.
South Dakota. Zero days without being a national embarrassment. Local teacher at the high school thought it was a good idea to hand this letter to several students. pic.twitter.com/BjnJx4dLdG
— Lee Bruns (@RealLeeBruns) April 25, 2022
Now, the school district is taking action after protests from students prompted an immediate response. A representative said, “The Watertown School District does not support this sort of action, and we respect the rights of our students to be who they are.” The district’s statement read, “We want to provide a safe learning environment for all students. We continue to work through the situation and ask for your support as we handle it.”
Unfortunately, like other students in conservative states, many Watertown High School students experience bullying and harassment with little protection from faculty.