When this bill was first introduced a couple of weeks ago in Missouri, most people paid little attention to it as no one thought it had a chance of passing, but it is stirring up some heated debates.
This bill would make it a felony for teachers or school counselors if they use a student’s preferred name and pronoun, requiring them to be placed on the sex offense registry. Other actions are also included in the bill that would require a teacher to register.
FAC does not take a position on anything except that the registry is punitive and needs to be abolished. We do not feel that people who are NOT sexually re-offending should be on any type of registry.
If a teacher were to use a student’s preferred name and pronoun, does that qualify as an action that should place a teacher on the registry with all its punitive accompanying laws? To be charged with a felony? As someone who taught in public schools for 30 years, this bill scares me to death.
This bill, if passed into law, wouldn’t last any longer than it took to file the lawsuit. I would like to think the judicial system has not become so politicized and corrupt that they would think one might at least need to be convicted of a sexual offense to be placed on a sexual offense registry.
This teacher said the quiet part out loud, “the registry with all its punitive accompanying laws”. It may become a felony offense to call students by terms that they, and perhaps their parents, wish them to be called by. I doubt that this theater of the absurd will become law. Unfortunately if it does, the surest way to have it challenged is for some poor teacher to be prosecuted and thus have standing. Although I suppose it could be challenged as prior restraint of speech.
So why this bill is still not yet scheduled to be heard again and not to get on a political point but the far right using the registry as a weapon if put into effect would show great evidence of the registry being a vindictive measure and hopefully hasten its downfall.
However the downside is that it’s only the beginning and any marginalized minority group who don’t conform to your will and your views you can simply legislate your way to an ideal pure society and label them and then legally ban them from your community. Homeless interment camps is the next step.
As long as the registry is only seen as non punitive these bills will be ratchet up year after year.
Debs
You nailed it. It’s all because the registry was labeled non punitive. Legislators can punish whoever they want now by putting them on the sex offender registry or making another registry all because it’s not punishment. What a Pandora’s box of legalized hate crimes.