A teenage student at Mearns Academy in Aberdeenshire, Scotland was removed from class, suspended, and later expelled after telling his teacher: "Sir, there are only two genders."
According to the 17-year-old student known only as Murray, the events unfolded after the teacher pulled up a website in front of the whole class that only gave two gender options.
"If I am [entitled to my own opinion], then why did you kick me out of class? It's not very inclusive." - Murray, 17
"[The teacher] basically started going off on a tangent about how bad that was, and how old fashioned it was," Murray told a YouTube account known as 'I, Hypocrite'.
This is when the student stated the scientific fact there are only two genders. In turn, he was removed from class, later given the reason his 'opinion' was 'not inclusive'. However the teacher stated his own opinion, that there are more than two genders, is "acceptable" in contrast.
After sitting outside the classroom for thirty minutes, the teacher finally came out to speak with Murray, who recorded the entire encounter.
"You're entitled to your opinion," the teacher told Murray.
"If I am, then why did you kick me out of class? It's not very inclusive," Murray inquired.
Within a day of the video being posted, it had gone viral.
The school came across the video and called Murray and his mother in for a meeting.
According to Murray, during the meeting the school officials made clear he was not getting in trouble for his comment. Rather because he recorded the teacher which is a direct violation of one of the school's rules.
The school suspended Murray for one week and told him they would have to restrict his phone usage. Murray conceded he violated a school policy and because the video went so viral this was not an outlandish punishment.
However, the school also made clear in the meeting that Murray could not talk to the press. If he did, they threatened harsher punishment.
"The video spoke for itself," Murray said, " I didn't really need to go public."
Multiple news outlets did end up covering the story, but Murray did not speak with any of them. And he did not want to - he says being able to go back to school was important to him.
"The video spoke for itself," Murray said, " I didn't really need to go public."
Despite Murray's compliance, the school did not let the incident die out. After the week-long suspension, Murray says the school called his mother. The head of school and deputy head of school came to his house after consulting higher-ups in the school system.
"They actually came to my house because they didn't want me going near the school building," Murray explained. "They said that they've come to a conclusion. [The video] is still very out there, still going viral, so they wanted me to stay off for another two weeks and return at the end of the summer break so that it would all die down."
Murray and his mother were phoned once more by the school, requesting they come in for another meeting. At the meeting, Murray was told the issue was debated amongst higher-ups and the conclusion was he could not continue his education at that school. He was expelled.
“In our schools, fostering good relations among different groups can be a real challenge but our aim is to support a fairer, inclusive environment for all,” a spokesperson from the Aberdeenshire Council told the Independent website.
"This sounds like a youngster looking for trouble," said Seamus Searson, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association.
Murray's case has some of the more extreme consequences of academic totalitarianism.
LGBT material is forced upon students as young as five-years-old in schools. Students are badgered by teachers for wearing clothing and making comments that are supportive of our president. In some cases, the teacher will even remove physical property, such as a hat or flag, from the individual.
Academia's purpose has been reduced to little more than indoctrination.
Sofia Carbone is a junior editor at Human Events
