A Florida teacher claims she was fired for discussing her pansexual status with middle school students whom she then asked to draw pictures representing their own sexual orientations.
Cape Coral art instructor Casey Scott said her students were curious about her sexual orientation and she explained to them that she was pansexual during a lesson in March, NBC2 reported.
“A discussion happened in class and because of that, now I’m fired,” Scott told the outlet.
Pansexual refers to someone who is attracted to all categories of people regardless of their sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Scott, who is married to a man, said the kids at Trafalgar Middle School then created flags representing their own sexuality and gender identities ranging from transgender and non-binary to gay.
The first-year teacher posted their creations to her classroom door before administrators told her to take them down.
“They said it would be in the best interest if I got rid of them now,” she told NBC.
Scott said she crumpled up the pictures and put them in the trash.
Lee School District officials said some students understood her explanation of her sexuality while others were left confused, the local NBC affiliate reported.
The subject matter angered some parents and students who wrote to administrators to voice their displeasure, officials said.
Scott, who was working on a probationary basis and not part of the teachers union, was eventually told not to return to campus and that her contract was being terminated.
District officials attributed her dismissal to her not following the curriculum, the outlet reported.
The firing came just days before Gov. Ron DeSantis banned instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation for kids in kindergarten through the fourth grade.
Backers of the “Parent’s Rights Bill” argue that sexual subject matter is inappropriate for young children and that the law shields them and their parents.
Critics dubbed the legislation the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and assert that it fosters hostility to the LGBTQ community.
Lee School District officials did not immediately return a call for comment.