Jennifer Eller suit against PG County School District

[Anonymous]

I am really curious to hear from anyone who has firsthand knowledge of the Jennifer Eller harrassment suit against PG County Schools. She is a transgender teacher who claims to have suffered years of abuse at the hands of faculty, administration, students, and parents following her transition to female in 2011. I'm a teacher, and from what I know of the current climate in schools, it seems highly improbable that this could have happened, especially over the course of years. Teachers who don't believe in gender ideology, or who have qualms about having to keep students' pronouns secret from parents, don't dare utter a word. I've yet to hear a complaint from a student or parent about having to share bathrooms and locker rooms with female-identifying males. Everyone is terrified of getting fired if they offend anyone who identifies as trans, and our administrations let us know in no uncertain terms that we need to keep our personal beliefs to ourselves and protect the school from getting sued. What is the real story here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am really curious to hear from anyone who has firsthand knowledge of the Jennifer Eller harrassment suit against PG County Schools. She is a transgender teacher who claims to have suffered years of abuse at the hands of faculty, administration, students, and parents following her transition to female in 2011. I'm a teacher, and from what I know of the current climate in schools, it seems highly improbable that this could have happened, especially over the course of years. Teachers who don't believe in gender ideology, or who have qualms about having to keep students' pronouns secret from parents, don't dare utter a word. I've yet to hear a complaint from a student or parent about having to share bathrooms and locker rooms with female-identifying males. Everyone is terrified of getting fired if they offend anyone who identifies as trans, and our administrations let us know in no uncertain terms that we need to keep our personal beliefs to ourselves and protect the school from getting sued. What is the real story here?

This was 11+ years ago and the climate was very different then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am really curious to hear from anyone who has firsthand knowledge of the Jennifer Eller harrassment suit against PG County Schools. She is a transgender teacher who claims to have suffered years of abuse at the hands of faculty, administration, students, and parents following her transition to female in 2011. I'm a teacher, and from what I know of the current climate in schools, it seems highly improbable that this could have happened, especially over the course of years. Teachers who don't believe in gender ideology, or who have qualms about having to keep students' pronouns secret from parents, don't dare utter a word. I've yet to hear a complaint from a student or parent about having to share bathrooms and locker rooms with female-identifying males. Everyone is terrified of getting fired if they offend anyone who identifies as trans, and our administrations let us know in no uncertain terms that we need to keep our personal beliefs to ourselves and protect the school from getting sued. What is the real story here?

I have no info on the real story in this case but I see anti trans and anti LGBTQ bias at work in DC EVERY SINGLE DAY. To say "people are afraid to offend trans" people is just absolute baloney. People can be horribly mean.

[Anonymous]

I know no details about the actual suit, but I think it is naive to believe that because of what OP suggests that is improbable that Ms. Eller was not discriminated against. What OP is talking about is overt and superficial signs of bigotry. What Ms. Eller was subjected to is likely subconscious and systemic bigotry.

To give some examples, like OP, I doubt anyone would come out and say anything that would suggest that they were not supportive or disagreed with Ms. Eller due to her gender identity. However, it is not unusual for coworkers (like other teachers, administration, paraeducators, etc) to avoid or shun the person. If she put in requests for leave and they were not approved at a disproportionate volume to coworkers. I know someone who had a medical condition, but her employer did not "recognize" her medical condition without doctor documentation and had sick leave and medical leave rejected, whereas other employees were regularly granted leave without doctor documentation. There may have been a higher number of parents who requested that their children not be in this teacher's classroom or supervised by this teacher. If the administration acknowledged that there was a high volume of requests to opt out of this teacher's classes and lead to changes in assignments, this all creates a hostile environment for her as an employee. If Ms. Eller felt she was passed by for opportunities due to her gender identity or even due to parents' requests for children not to be in her class, these create a hostile environment and could be causes for her suit. For example, we recently had a G/T teacher retire. One current teacher in the school was "promoted" to this position and a replacement was hired for her previous position. But, if Ms. Eller had a similar type situation where she applied for a position, but was passed over and she suspects that parental comments to the administration lead to her losing the position, this could be causes for her to feel harassed by the administration.

Having felt racial discrimination in situations where others have not recognized that discrimination, I would not be quick to judge Ms. Eller's accusations. I believe that she deserves her day in court for her lawyers to present the case and let a judge decide whether there were damages for which she deserves recompense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know no details about the actual suit, but I think it is naive to believe that because of what OP suggests that is improbable that Ms. Eller was not discriminated against. What OP is talking about is overt and superficial signs of bigotry. What Ms. Eller was subjected to is likely subconscious and systemic bigotry.

To give some examples, like OP, I doubt anyone would come out and say anything that would suggest that they were not supportive or disagreed with Ms. Eller due to her gender identity. However, it is not unusual for coworkers (like other teachers, administration, paraeducators, etc) to avoid or shun the person. If she put in requests for leave and they were not approved at a disproportionate volume to coworkers. I know someone who had a medical condition, but her employer did not "recognize" her medical condition without doctor documentation and had sick leave and medical leave rejected, whereas other employees were regularly granted leave without doctor documentation. There may have been a higher number of parents who requested that their children not be in this teacher's classroom or supervised by this teacher. If the administration acknowledged that there was a high volume of requests to opt out of this teacher's classes and lead to changes in assignments, this all creates a hostile environment for her as an employee. If Ms. Eller felt she was passed by for opportunities due to her gender identity or even due to parents' requests for children not to be in her class, these create a hostile environment and could be causes for her suit. For example, we recently had a G/T teacher retire. One current teacher in the school was "promoted" to this position and a replacement was hired for her previous position. But, if Ms. Eller had a similar type situation where she applied for a position, but was passed over and she suspects that parental comments to the administration lead to her losing the position, this could be causes for her to feel harassed by the administration.

Having felt racial discrimination in situations where others have not recognized that discrimination, I would not be quick to judge Ms. Eller's accusations. I believe that she deserves her day in court for her lawyers to present the case and let a judge decide whether there were damages for which she deserves recompense.

I read the complaint and if it is true this was really overt bigotry. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/09/26/transgender-teacher-prince-georges-settlement/

Kenmoor is generally a great school but I can't say that I was surprised that this happened under the former principals watch. She had a lot of positive characteristics but supporting the LGBTQ+ students wasn't one of them. The transgender policies were not being followed at Kenmoor until a student advocate printed them out and highlighted the section that they were not following. She wouldn't allow the Gay Straight Alliance club to start meeting until the very end of the school year.

[Anonymous]

ETA- PGCPS's offical policy on Transgender students and staff is very progressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ETA- PGCPS's offical policy on Transgender students and staff is very progressive.

Which is wild, as in 10 years I've only ever seen PGCPS forms that list "MOTHER" and "FATHER" and couldn't be less LGBT inclusive overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ETA- PGCPS's offical policy on Transgender students and staff is very progressive.

Which is wild, as in 10 years I've only ever seen PGCPS forms that list "MOTHER" and "FATHER" and couldn't be less LGBT inclusive overall.

Well, there is official policy and actual implementation. This year all three of our PGCPS schools used Adult 1 and Adult 2 on the forms. Several of the teachers sent our kids google forms that asked for their legal name (in Schoolmax), preferred name, pronouns and if their adults used the name and pronouns. The Middle School has a gender neutral bathroom. High school does not and I haven't asked the elementary school.
It's far from perfect but it is better than it was.

This is the policy and the Administrative Procedure.
https://www.pgcps.org/globalassets/offices/general-counsel/docs---general-counsel/board-policies/0000/board-policy-0103---inclusive-environments-for-lgbtqia-people.pdf
https://www.pgcps.org/globalassets/offices/general-counsel/docs---general-counsel/administrative-procedures/5000/administrative-procedure-5183---transgender-and-gender-non-conforming-students.pdf

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher working PGCPS and have first hand experience at the middle school she taught at. I also know of other staff that have worked with her. Please understand that the schools she taught at were in the “hood.” Mostly African American community in which the transgender community is frowned upon. The staff shamed her and told her not to wear skirts and to work elsewhere. The students were horrible, with the slurs. The staff provided no respect or protection. I am glad she won.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am really curious to hear from anyone who has firsthand knowledge of the Jennifer Eller harrassment suit against PG County Schools. She is a transgender teacher who claims to have suffered years of abuse at the hands of faculty, administration, students, and parents following her transition to female in 2011. I'm a teacher, and from what I know of the current climate in schools, it seems highly improbable that this could have happened, especially over the course of years. Teachers who don't believe in gender ideology, or who have qualms about having to keep students' pronouns secret from parents, don't dare utter a word. I've yet to hear a complaint from a student or parent about having to share bathrooms and locker rooms with female-identifying males. Everyone is terrified of getting fired if they offend anyone who identifies as trans, and our administrations let us know in no uncertain terms that we need to keep our personal beliefs to ourselves and protect the school from getting sued. What is the real story here?

The fact that your first instinct is to not believe her says a lot about what she may have endured. How about just wait for the case to take course instead of taking a side without knowing anything about what happened.

[Anonymous]

She was hired before her transition and presented as male. Then at some point she changes name and pronouns. Tells the principal she is now a woman and comes to school in women's clothing. That can be distracting to middle schoolers one week you are Mr. Eller next week you are Ms. Eller. There is no room for hate but we have to stop pretending that this is easy stuff for everyone else to deal with and understand. It is complex and we need to stop acting like it is normal. Just because people struggle to understand it doesny make them hateful bigots. This is relatively new phenomenon for an adult male to literally transform before your eyes. Middle school is a tough place under the best of circumstances.