In a letter to The State News, Elliott, a social relations and policy senior who has chosen to withhold his last name, discussed a situation in one of his classes when a professor allegedly refused to call him by his name and pronouns. The class took place in the spring of 2014.
"He just refused to use the pronouns that I wanted him to use,” Elliott said. “It came off as more 'I’m doing it on purpose, not on accident.'”
Elliott said the professor never once called him by the correct name or pronouns.
Elliott's fellow classmates confirmed the occurrences and handling of the situation by the professor.
“I can confirm that the professor referred to him as 'she,'” social relations and policy senior Kaitlyn Beyer said.
Beyer said in class she remembers that she and another student corrected the professor about Elliott’s pronouns, but he did not change.
“He was definitely told multiple times by multiple people,” MSU alumna Kayla Rosen said.
Despite many attempts to correct the professor, he continued to use incorrect pronouns, Beyer said. In addition, when students would misgender Elliott, the professor would not correct them.
Elliott's disagreements with the professor led him to retreat in class conversations and not participate in the discussion.
Rosen said Elliott would write down things he wished he could say in class and show her, but he chose not to participate.
“Elliott stopped engaging in class after a few of them (arguments),” Beyer said. “He wouldn’t really raise his hand to answer questions.”
He went to the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, but never filed a complaint, he said. Currently, Elliott is in contact with the Office of Institutional Equity, or OIE.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, enforces "Title IX’s sex discrimination prohibition extends to claims of discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity and OCR accepts such complaints for investigation," according to the "OCR Questions and Answers on Title IX and Sexual Violence" report.
Under Title IX, federal civil rights extend to transgender people. The guidance was announced in 2014.
The Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2015, which was introduced in the Senate, would prohibit public school from excluding anyone or discriminating based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
In addition, the bill considers harassment to be a form of discrimination.
Sherman Garnett, the dean of James Madison College, released a statement to James Madison College students and alumni about the situation.
The statement read, "While I cannot comment on the details of any individual complaint and subsequent action, the situation described in the letter was addressed two years ago as soon as it was brought to the attention of college leadership. I have always encouraged any student to come to me or my staff directly with any concerns they have regarding inclusion and diversity."
Emails between Dean Garnett and Elliott show the dean was made aware of the situation and a meeting was arranged between the two.
The statement goes on to explain the college takes harassment seriously, and it strives for an inclusive work and learning environment.
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When asked, Dean Garnett did not provide further comment. Jeff Judge, the assistant dean of James Madison College, could not be reached for comment. The professor of the class Elliott was in also did not respond to requests for comment.
