Uttar Pradesh school accused of firing trans teacher over gender promises sensitisation course

A few months after a private school in Uttar Pradesh terminated the services of transwoman teacher Jane Kaushik, allegedly over her gender identity, and proceeded to sue her for defamation for going public with it, the Uma Devi Children’s Academy has succumbed to demands for gender sensitisation courses in its school. 

The school has now withdrawn the defamation suit against Ms. Kaushik after she sent a lengthy legal response to the notice, promised to start transgender sensitisation courses for all on campus, and set up a complaint mechanism, in a letter sent to Ms. Kaushik on Tuesday. 

In the letter, the school “thanked” Ms. Kaushik for bringing these issues “to our notice” and added that she would be helping the school build the sensitisation course and set up the complaint mechanism for transgender students and teachers. 

The school had in 2022 hired Ms. Kaushik to teach Social Science and English after a rigorous round of interviews and test sessions. However, within a week of her joining, her services were allegedly terminated by the school for being open about her gender identity. Ms. Kaushik had alleged that teachers and students on campus harassed her and abused her. “The school asked me to hide my gender and when some found out about it, I was let go,” she had said. 

NCW orders probe

The National Commission for Women (NCW) had taken up the case and ordered a local probe into the matter, soon after which the school sent her a defamation notice, saying she was “conspiring” to tarnish the reputation of the school. In the probe conducted by district authorities, the school vehemently denied Ms. Kaushik’s allegations, claiming it had terminated her because of alleged incompetence. 

However, after withdrawing the defamation notice, under pressure from trans activists, the school agreed to some of Ms. Kaushik’s demands about the necessity of introducing a transgender sensitisation course on campus and complaint mechanism to report discrimination. 

“The school also offered to give me back my job but only if I agreed to sit for another exam. I do not want to be made to dance to the school’s tunes after what they put me through but I agreed to help them build the course and set up the complaint mechanism,” Ms. Kaushik told Today News 24, hailing the school’s move as a small victory. 

In the letter, the school said it recognised issues of harassment and bullying faced by transgender students on campus and a lack of sensitisation in “educational institutions”. It added, “In order to provide them inclusive education and a safe space at our school, we have decided to conduct transgender sensitisation sessions on a regular basis for our teachers and students studying in senior classes.”