US court backs firing of educator over anti-trans books

Two Obama- and Biden-appointed judges dismissed the Oregon school employee’s case over the right to display the books in his office An Oregon school employee who was fired for displaying children’s books that reject transgender ideology cannot challenge their dismissal, a US appeals court has ruled.Two Obama and Biden-appointed judges dismissed education specialist and licensed clinical social worker Roderick Theis II’s First Amendment right to display ‘He Is He’ and ‘She Is She’ in his office at La Grande Middle School. Theis also displayed conservative commentator Matt Walsh’s ‘Johnny the Walrus’, a satirical children’s book about a boy struggling with his ‘walrus’ identity, at another school office.The district received a complaint and called the books a “bias incident” against transgender students. Theis denied that he tried to harm anyone, but was ordered to remove them whenever students were present.A judge later allowed him to display the books only when his office was empty, but at one point, several students came in and asked to read them. A teacher filmed the encounter and filed a complaint, after which the district fired Theis.He sued the district, arguing that the order...