Top Court seeks response from UP, Gujarat over termination of transgender teacher

“Something has to be done for her; the moment she gets employed she gets terminated. The way she has been treated only for being a transgender!” CJI Chandrachud observed.

Kanu Sarda

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the states of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat to respond to a plea filed by a transgender teacher who approached the court after her services were discontinued in the two states following the revelation of her gender.

During a brief hearing, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, “Something has to be done for her, the moment she gets employed she gets terminated. The way she has been treated only for being a transgender! And she is made to go from state to state. We will keep this following Monday for final disposal.”

The bench directed the States of UP and Gujarat to complete the pleadings in the meanwhile.

The counsel for the transgender teacher told the bench that, “They don’t allow me to enter the school the moment they know I am a transgender. They gave her a letter saying ‘you were a very good English teacher but not a social teacher’.”

He further pointed out that the women’s hostel is not comfortable the moment they come to know she is a transgender.

However, the counsel appearing for the Gujarat government told the bench that the school did offer her a job, but she turned it down.

The petitioner, Jane Kaushik, in her plea described how she was given a letter of appointment in UP, and she taught there for 6 days, and then in Gujarat she was given the letter of appointment, but prevented from attending work after her gender was revealed.

The petitioner has challenged her termination and pointed towards the structural discrimination and harassment she had to undergo because of her gender identity.

The plea has sought proper guidelines from the Union government to ensure that no other transgender person faces the difficulties she has been going through.

Courtesy : India Today

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