A New York college has rescinded its suspension of a student who it barred from the teaching program for posting a video in which he declared ''a man is a man, a woman is a woman.''
State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo's Associate Provost for Academic Success Joseph Cope informed Owen Stevens last week that he had been reinstated to the school's required field education classes, The Daily Wire reported.
The story did not say why the suspension was lifted and an email sent by Newsmax after hours to the SUNY-Geneseo communication department for comment was not immediately returned.
The Daily Wire, however, reported Stevens must review the state's ''Guidance to School Districts for Creating a Safe and Support School Environment For Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students'' documents and ''self-monitor'' his public writings to ''ensure that he presents himself in a professional manner.''
The reinstatement comes after Stevens was suspended in November for posting a video to his Instagram account in which he said, ''A man cannot become a woman, and a woman cannot become a man.''
The school said Stevens' statements ''call(ed)into question'' his ability to ''maintain a classroom environment protecting the mental and emotional well-being of all of [his] students.''
It insisted he complete a ''remediation plan'' which included removing his Instagram videos, tempering his social media posts, and attending school-approved training. It also insinuated that he must accept the liberal ideology on homosexuality and transgenderism.
''You continue to maintain, 'I do not recognize the gender that they claim to be if they are not biologically that gender,''' the school said. ''This public position is in conflict with the Dignity for All Students Act requiring teachers to maintain a classroom environment protecting the mental and emotional well-being of all students.''
Owens said he would not comply with the demands for "re-education" training.
Additionally, SUNY-Geneseo President Denise Battles denounced Owens in a campus-wide email, although not by name.
''Yesterday, I was made aware of a current student's Instagram posts pertaining to transgender people,'' she wrote. ''I want to take this opportunity to publicly restate my deep personal commitment to promoting social justice.''
However, she also acknowledged the school was limited in any action it could take other than suspending Owens.
''There are clear legal limitations to what a public university can do in response to objectionable speech,'' Battles wrote. ''As a result, there are few tools at our disposal to reduce the pain that such speech may cause.''
Despite the reinstatement, Stevens told The Daily Wire he still intends to sue the school.
''This is a huge victory for us … but we need to push back so that destructive policies leave our universities,'' Stevens said. ''We are still planning legal action … The much larger issue is that the university will almost always back down in the face of negative media attention. Going the legal route will provide legal precedent in order to challenge their policies in court.''
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