OPINION: The danger of a simple greeting

By Todd E. Brady

Guest columnist

Be careful what you say. You could lose your job saying hello.

While the newest Supreme Court Justice here in the United States cannot define “woman,” a teacher in the United Kingdom no longer has her job as a result of greeting her class with the phrase “good afternoon, girls.” 

The amazing thing about this true story is that the teacher taught at an all-girls school. This particular school—one of 25 schools and academies that make up the Girl’s Day School Trust in the U—has a tuition of approximately $25,000. 

According to the teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect the privacy of her former students, the issue began when some seventh-grade girls complained about her greeting the class by saying “good morning, girls.”

Good grief.

The 11-year-old girls told their teacher that “not everyone here identifies as a female.” The following day, the girls had written their names and pronouns on the board. The teacher refused to use pronouns that differed from their biological sex and stated that she would want to have a conversation with their parents.

The teacher’s refusal to use other pronouns and insistence on talking with parents was met with a lunchtime protest where students held placards that read “trans lives matter.” She said “Before the end of the week, I was in some sort of disciplinary process and the head of the year as telling me I had to apologize to the girls.” 

Notice. To whom was she to apologize? To the GIRLS!

The teacher was then required to stand to one side as the head of the year said, “I’m sorry you’re upset. No one here would want to hurt you. You’re all really loved by us.”

After the apology her one-year contract was not renewed. She states that she felt “managed out” by senior staff.

Sadly, it seems that saying anything is problematic. A simple greeting has become a case for dismissal. Sure, no child should be hurt, but who is the authority over there in those classrooms—the students or the teacher?

You permit what you promote. It is unbelievable that an all-girls schools would allow “offended” children who don’t identify as female to have the influence to remove an adult figure from her occupation as a teacher. It is equally unbelievable that the school would allow their children to play along with such nonsense as gender identification. Schools should promote maturity, not foolishness.

Tomorrow, if you look for me, you won’t find me. Oh, I’ll be there. You just won’t see me. You see, even though I was born visible, tomorrow I’m identifying as invisible. My pronouns are going to be Who/Where. 

All this hooey about pronouns in a UK classroom is not only a matter of silliness; it’s deep rebellion—rebellion against the authority of teachers and rebellion against the God-established created order.

Well, that is over there in the United Kingdom. Of course, here in our own country, we were once led by a President who was asked why he wasn’t lying about a situation and said, “It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is.”

In 1998, there was a supposed dysphoria about ‘is.”  Now 25 years later there is a supposed dysphoria about “gender.” Obviously, some are becoming more and more dysphoric. And a teacher over there in the UK will tell you that it is dangerous.

Todd E. Brady is vice president for university ministries at Union University. Write to him at 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson TN 38305.