The 3 - November 9, 2025

One of the flashpoints in our national dialogue over gender issues has to do with the demand by some that other people must use their so-called "gender" pronouns, that correspond to the gender that they "feel" like they are, rather than a reference based on biology.  This has resulted in teachers, for instance, being punished for essentially lying to their students by using these pronouns.

The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has ruled against an Ohio school district for forcing students to use those gender pronouns when referring to their fellow students.  FoxNews.com reported last week:

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that an Ohio school district violated students’ free speech rights by enforcing policies that restricted gendered language in classrooms.

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Olentangy Local School District, near Columbus, cannot punish students for using gender-specific language, even if some find it offensive.

The article relates that the organization Parents Defending Education "sued the district in 2023, arguing its pronoun mandate violated students’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. District officials maintained the policies were designed to curb bullying and promote inclusion."  But, the majority of the court said that "the district 'fell far short' of showing that allowing such speech would cause disruption or infringe on others’ rights."

Meanwhile, a federal district judge ruled against a teacher who had been suspended due to her display of what is described by First Liberty as a "small crucifix from her personal items in the classroom."  Marisol Arroyo-Castro has been teaching for 30 years, yet her school district in Connecticut has blocked her from returning to the classroom and even threatened her job.

Keisha Russell, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute, stated in response, according to the Christian legal organization's website: “Today’s decision flies in the face of clear Supreme Court precedent,” adding, “Requiring a teacher to purge their workspace of anything religious is blatant discrimination that violates the First Amendment.  We will appeal and continue to fight for Marisol’s religious liberty rights.”  Keisha Russell, as well as Marisol Arroyo-Castro testified about religious freedom issues in schools at a recent meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission appointed by the President.  The judge said, "The classroom wall decorations are thus speech pursuant to Ms. Castro’s official duties and subject to the District’s control.” 

The Mexico City policy is a pro-life policy that prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions outside of the U.S.  While President Trump has reinstated that policy, the State Department recently announced that the scope of it is being expanded.

The Daily Signal quoted from a person described as a "senior State Department official," who reportedly said: "The department will soon take additional steps to close loopholes that allowed taxpayer funding for promotion of abortion in previous iterations of the Mexico City Policy and expand the scope of the policy to ensure every penny of U.S. foreign assistance prioritizes American values, not the woke agenda...”

The article went on to say: "The expanded policy will prohibit U.S. funding for gender ideology, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. For example, the State Department is ending a $2 million grant to fund gender-affirming operations in Guatemala."

So, as the Daily Signal article states: "all entities...that receive U.S. foreign assistance cannot perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning, promote gender ideology, promote discriminatory equity ideology, or engage in any unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion-related discrimination."