After suggesting that the rise in trans youth was a “trend” and that many young transgender individuals regret their transition, a Colorado teacher was sent to a “re-education camp”.
Fox News reported that Jefferson County Public School teacher Phil Vagos underwent disciplinary action following email exchange between himself and a transgender student. The student — a biological female who initially emailed Vagos begging for a second chance to pass his class — asked to be addressed using “he/him” pronouns “when in absence of parental figures,” according to the communications reviewed by the Daily Caller.
A student came to the teacher distressed, asking for an extended semester to make up for lost credits as a result of incomplete work. Vagos maintained the usage of the students preferred name throughout the email chain and simply dropped zero credit assignments allowing the student to pass the class.
At the end of the thread, Vagos added, “And as much as I don’t want to interfere in anything that isn’t my business, given the P.S. of the email I thought it might be helpful for me to provide a link regarding the transitioning process that has become a recent trend among young people in the United States, I typically wouldn’t do this, although you did mention that you are using an alternate name and gender outside of your parents’ presence, which tells me that this might not be the result of a consensus of agreement between you and them.”
He finished with a concerned tone, saying, “In any event, please forgive my presumptuousness on my part regarding this issue. But I am a firm believer in making fully informed decisions … especially when they may completely and permanently alter one’s life.”
The end of the email seems to be a genuinely concerned teacher reaching out to a student in an attempt to help.
According to the Daily Caller, this exchange happened back on May of 2021, nothing came of it until a student complained that Vagos was “too conservative” because he wasn’t wearing a mask in class.
The district argued that the teacher had violated their harassment policy. Vagos was reprimanded and told never to use the word “trend” when talking about trans issues.
“Your response to this student and the provision of this link imparts a lack of support and reduces a student’s self-identification as being transgendered as a “trend” rather than something real the student is experiencing,” a letter from the school said.
Vagos was then sent to “Gender Inclusion 101” training at the expense of Jefferson County Public School.