Shillong, January 2: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine a plea filed by a transgender teacher whose services were “unlawfully” terminated by two private schools in the last one year solely on account of her gender identity.
“We will see what we can do,” said a Bench presided over by the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, as it issued notices to the Union Government and the state governments of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, and others in the matter.
The plea, filed through Advocate Yashraj Singh Deora, stated that the petitioner was forced to resign after the staff and students at a school in Uttar Pradesh became aware of her transgender identity.
It said, “The actions of Respondent No. 5 (Uma Devi Children’s Academy, Uttar Pradesh) in illegally terminating the Petitioner is contrary to the spirit and provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protections of Rights) [TPPR] Act, 2019 and this also outright violates the Uttar Pradesh Intermediate Education Act, 1921.”
In another stance, the JP Modi School in Gujarat’s Jamnagar indicated to the petitioner that her being a transgender woman would be an issue in employing her.
Though an appointment letter as an English teacher was issued, the school did not allow her to join merely based on her gender.
“The intervention of this Hon’ble Court at this stage is urgent. The protections of the TPPR Act, 2019 and the TPPR Rules, 2020 are not trickling to the ground,” the plea said. (IANS)
