An Ohio college professor is reportedly suing officials at a small public university for their rebuke after he referred to a transgender female student as "sir."
Nicholas Meriwether, a philosophy professor and evangelical Christian, filed the federal suit Nov. 5 against Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio, arguing officials violated his constitutional rights by, among other things, making him speak in a way that contradicts his religious beliefs, NBC News reported.
"In January 2018, a male student demanded that Dr. Meriwether address him as a woman because he identified as such and threatened to have Dr. Meriwether fired if he declined," the lawsuit states.
"To accede to these demands would have required Dr. Meriwether to communicate views regarding gender identity that he does not hold, that he does not wish to communicate, and that would contradict (and force him to violate) his sincerely held Christian beliefs."
Meriwether was given a written warning after the incident, NBC News reported.
"Continuing in their role as the self-appointed grammar police, defendants threaten to punish him again if he continues to express his views," the suit said. "Under their policies, all professors must refer to each student — both in and out of class — using whatever pronouns the student claims reflect his gender identity."
The lawsuit claims "the number of potential gender identities is infinite" and states there are "over one hundred different options currently available."
The Alliance Defending Freedom, an Arizona-based conservative Christian law firm, filed the lawsuit on Meriwether's behalf.
The university said in a statement to NBC News "as this case progresses, and details come to light, it will become clear that we made decisions in an effort to both respect our faculty member's deep-rooted religious beliefs and our student's right to equal treatment in the classroom."
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