Alabama House committee approves bill giving educators immunity for misgendering students

The Alabama House Education Policy Committee approved a bill Wednesday that would prohibit teachers from using students’ preferred pronouns if they do not align with their biological sex.

HB 246, sponsored by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, drew criticism from people who identify as transgender or nonbinary at a public hearing earlier this month. The bill would give public educators legal immunity and students immunity from discipline for using a person’s legal name and pronouns aligned with their reproductive organs, instead of the name and gender with which they identify.

The substitute removed the section of the bill that did not allow a student to go by a name that is a derivative of their legal name.

“We’re going to omit ‘other than the student’s legal name or a derivative thereof or by’ and then the sentence will continue ‘a pronoun or title that is patently inconsistent with the student’s name, with the student sex, without the written permission of the student’s parent or guardian,’” Rep. Susan Dubose, R-Hoover, who read the substitute, said.

The committee adopted a substitute that added pronouns or names “patently inconsistent” with a student’s biological sex. The legislation requires students to get a permission slip signed by their parents if they use pronouns that do not reflect their biological sex. 

The bill passed with no discussion. It moves to the full House.