Cody Hillerace, a physical education teacher at a high school, thinks there are only boys and girls. He makes sure they are never in the same place by separating them and making sure no one can look into the locker room of the other gender. This is why Cody Hiller, a physical education teacher, said no when a transgender boy tried to change in the boys’ locker room. He was then fired from his job.
Now, the boy’s parents are asking his high school in Illinois to let him change in the boys’ locker room. Hiller, who is married and has six children, thinks that transgender boys should change in the locker room for girls because they were born female.
Hiller was put on administrative leave from West Frankfort High School last month because he wouldn’t let a transgender boy change in the boys’ locker room. Hiller wouldn’t let the transgender boy change in the boys’ locker room, and he even told on the student to school leaders because, as a high school physical education teacher in Illinois, he “wouldn’t let that happen” under his watch.
“It’s not safe for anybody,” Hiller said. “This isn’t against this student in particular. I care about this student, and I think that student needs to be protected. It’s just not where the boys change.”
Hiller isn’t the only person at the high school who thinks there are two genders, but he was willing to be the only one to speak up against the wishes of the transgender student. The man thought that the other people didn’t say what they thought about the transgender student out loud because they were afraid of getting hurt, like losing their jobs. He went on to say that he can see why they would be afraid if such things were done to them.
Hiller added, “I didn’t have a choice.” He said he would rather lose his job than let the transgender boy use the right locker room. “If it makes me lose my job, it makes me lose my job.”
Now, Hiller’s parents are speaking up in his defense and asking the school board not to fire the PE teacher. These conservative parents say that “doing the right thing” would be better for the district.
James Conyers said, “This is not a good law.” “You need to fight for good laws and laws that everyone can understand. I’m not happy with how you did your jobs.”
Casey Smith is a mother of two. She thinks that “kids change their minds,” so she doesn’t think that this transgender boy is really a boy.
“What happens if they change their minds and my son is in the locker room with a child who is now back to being a girl?
” Smith said.
Should transgender boys be able to use the bathrooms and locker rooms for boys?