Trans teacher in LA was unfairly fired from their job — then over 2,000 people did the unthinkable

A person deserves merit or demerit based on their performance, not on their identity and background. Gender, preferences, choices and opinions are personal and cannot be grounds to demean or disrespect people. When a trans teacher, Henry Zahid, was unfairly fired from their job, people boldly stood up for them, per Los Angeles Public Press. As a teacher at South East High School in South Gate for quite some time, they had done a lot for the school and its students, but were still discriminated against. That’s when a majority stepped in to stand by Zahid’s side. The teacher’s story is resounding among many and has become an example of resilience and support. 

Zahid had made quite a few efforts in addition to meticulously doing their job as a full-time teacher. In their second year of teaching, they came out as trans to spread awareness to students. “I knew that if I could be my authentic self, it would help my students to see, ‘Trans adults are out there,’” the teacher recalled. Zahid later received a letter stating they were fired from their position. As part of the district’s iCAAP (Intern and Credential Assistance and Advancement) program, teachers like Zahid are on probation, during which the school principal can terminate their contract through a process called non-reelection. 

As per the investigation, it was revealed that the non-reelection was based on performance issues, including “non-protected absences, lack of professionalism, instructional issues, and classroom management concerns.” An anonymous lawyer revealed that teachers are “not entitled to an explanation” in such cases, leaving Zahid discouraged. This non-reelection was equivalent to a negative reference, which would affect the teacher’s career. They mentioned that there was no unprofessionalism on their account and that the non-reelection seemed to be personal. “I do personally feel that my principal did use the non-re-election to hide behind discrimination and bias,” they remarked. 

The United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) offered Zahid a platform to share their perspective at monthly Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Meetings. They humbly said, “I am here to ask you to rescind and investigate my principal’s decision as I believe it is discriminatory and biased against me as an openly transgender educator.” Hearing their side, supporters stepped in to help. This included Lanah Baddour, English Language Arts department chair at South East High, Noah Lippe-Klein, a teacher at Susan Miller Dorset High School and senior board member at UTLA and many others.

The remarkable part is that the Educator Defense Network used the power of the internet to stand with Zahid. In a post on Instagram, the teacher’s plight was shared along with a plea to write a letter in support of Zahid. “Please send a letter and call your board member. We cannot let oppressive systems go unchallenged,” a bit of the caption read. Over 2,000 community members pitched in favor of Zahid. After a 5-month battle of legalities, bias and whatnot, the teacher was finally successful. “This literally would not have been possible without the community,” Zahid noted.

In a post shared by @utlanow, Zahid thanked their well-wishers and urged people to understand the power their voice holds. “I asked for community support and the response blew me away. This fight cannot be won alone and it shouldn’t have to. Our voices are powerful and together, let’s hope they lead to some real change,” they remarked.

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