A judge has dismissed a professor's lawsuit against a small, public university in Ohio that rebuked him for not addressing a transgender student using the student's preferred gender terms.
Nicholas Meriwether's federal lawsuit alleged that Shawnee State University officials violated his rights by compelling him to speak in a way that contradicts his Christian beliefs.
The school contended such language was part of his job responsibilities, not speech protected by the First Amendment. A federal judge agreed that the manner in which Meriwether addressed the student wasn't protected under the First Amendment.
A message seeking comment was left Monday for Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented Meriwether.
