Daily Innovation, Ministry Insights, and Thoughts from Todd Rhoades for Pastors and Church Leaders
Christian College Fires Transgendered Professor
Spring Arbor University fired Julie Marie Nemecek after she was diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder. Her employment will be terminated effective June 1 when her contract expires. The college, located in Michigan, is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church and has about 1400 students currently enrolled. "Jesus Christ as the perspective for learning" is the concept promoted on their website. Ms. Nemecek, an ordained Baptist minister and Evangelical Christian, announced her intention to transition from John to Julie in December 2005. She has worked for Spring Arbor University for 16 years and at the time of her announcement, she was Associate Dean of Adult Studies.
Spring Arbor University President Gayle Beebe called Ms. Nemecek into a meeting. Also in attendance was Dean Natalie Gianetti and Nemecek’s wife Joanne, to whom she has been married for 35 years. Joanne is studying to counsel transgendered individuals and she fully supports her husband.
The meeting didn’t go as well as the Nemeceks had hoped. In an attempt to protect their image and accommodate their employee, Spring Arbor University restricted Julie Nemecek to teaching online classes and cut her salary 20 percent. The college banned her from graduation ceremonies and from representing the college while dressed as a woman.
The university watched Ms. Nemecek closely. After appearing in public wearing a Spring Arbor College t-shirt along with makeup and earrings, she was notified that her contract will not be renewed when it expires in May.
Spring Arbor University works hard to maintain its reputation. Divorce, drunkenness, and other behaviors considered sinful by the church is forbidden. Upon being hired, employees sign an agreement stating that such behavior can result in termination of employment.
Julie Marie Nemecek is fighting her dismissal. Her attorney, Randi Barnabee, has filed a discrimination claim with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Detroit. She is seeking unspecified damages and a reinstatement to her former position.
Julie Marie Nemecek is not alone in her fight. Staff and students who support Ms. Nemecek want to know how gender identity violates biblical principles.
On Monday, February 12, the Spring Arbor Gay Straight Alliance held a rally to support Ms. Nemecek and to educate the community about transgender issues. The rally was a day long event during which they showed “Transgeneration,” a film documenting the lives of four transgendered individuals.
Students gathered on campus sidewalks. They carried signs that asked: “What would Jesus do?”
Julie, dressed as a woman, told them, “There is no sin in living in joyful celebration for how God has made you.”
While the students marched, supporters of the university gathered at the Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church to pray for the community.
The college claims the right to fire Ms. Nemecek based a Bona Fied Occupational Qualification, which allows them to hire only Christian employees.
In response, Barnabee states that Spring Arbor admits students of every faith and that not all their employees are Christian. The university also receives government funds that prevent them from discriminating based on gender.
Mediation on the complaint is scheduled for March. Nemecek plans to file a federal lawsuit if the mediation fails.
SOURCES:
Another story is here at Fox News...
“University Firing Transgender Prof”, Jackson Citizen Patriot, February 4, 2007
URL: http://www.mlive.com/news/jacitpat/index.ssf?/base/news-20/1170587131125380.xml&coll=3&thispage=1
“Gender Change Costs Dean a Job”, Inside Higher Ed, February 6, 2007
URL: http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/02/06/springarbor
This post has been viewed 576 times and was added on March 12, 2007 by Todd Rhoades. Filed under: Engaging Culture Trends in Today's Church Share this post with a friend right now! View reactions to this post at other blogs... You can really help us out by subscribing to our free RSS feed with your favorite feed reader, or here at Bloglines. Also, you can add us to your favorites at Technorati.
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My name is Todd Rhoades, the 'behind the scenes' guy here at MMI. I'm also on the team at Leadership Network (although that doesn't mean that they endorse everything I write here). In my past life, I was the developer of a of a website called ChurchStaffing.com. I hope you'll enjoy your time here and tell all your colleagues about MMI! 
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Posted by Brian
Monday, March 12, 2007 at 8:18 AM
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Posted by Andy McAdams
Monday, March 12, 2007 at 9:30 AM
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Posted by Todd Rhoades
Monday, March 12, 2007 at 9:41 AM
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Posted by RevJeff
Monday, March 12, 2007 at 10:48 AM
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Posted by kent
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 7:43 AM
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Posted by Daniel
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 8:36 AM
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Posted by
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 9:30 PM
Post Your Comments:Okay, I’ll go first…
The article says:
Julie, dressed as a woman, told them, “There is no sin in living in joyful celebration for how God has made you.”
My response: No problem with that - God made you a man. But it seems that you believe God made you a woman, but messed up on the packaging.
You may confused about your gender, but God isn’t. He made you and He made you a man ON PURPOSE.
You are saying, in effect, God blew it and you’re making it right. Good luck with that.
My heart breaks for you. It truly does.
Brian
Most likely this person will not be talked out of making this transition…no matter who talks to him or what is said or even if scripture overwhelmingly point to it as wrong. I suppose what bothers me more isn’t the decision and change, because people have to live with the consequences of their own action…what bothers me most is what this will do to that Christian College. Fact is…that’s not important to John. All that’s important is being Julie, not matter what the cost is to others. No celebration in that from what I can see.
Perhaps John/Julie will read our comments here and offer some input and discussion…
Todd
I applaud the University for taking a very difficult and not popular in today’s culture stand on this choice. NOt being completely familiar with SAU, this is an assumption but Ill bet all of their staff sign a lifestyle statement atthe tie of employment which although I’d bet my life doesn’t specifically mention transgenderism… this decision on John’s part would clearly violate.
other than that.... AMEN Brian
Imagine how much fun it will be to come to work after having sue in federal court to get the job they didn’t want you to have any more. That would pop me out of bed every morning. Besides they didn’t fire her, they didn’t renew her contract. She (he) can finish out to the end of the year. The out end points on contracts for a reason.
Is it that crazy to think that in a world gone wrong, with miscarriages, infertility, conjoined twins, hereditary diseases and genetic abnormalities, that some people might, for hormonal and genetic reasons, develop the brain structure traditionally associated with women, and yet develop the external body of a man? I’m not saying it’s what happened… it just seems to me like it’s possible.
For me the issue here isn’t being transgendered (which may not be any more ‘sinful’ than being intersex--cf. isna.org), it’s the issue of a believer suing other believers in a court of non-believers. So much for being a body…
My two cents.
-Daniel-
Daniel, thank you for a little sanity in this crazy world.
Having had a good friend who was born intersex (not what they called it when she was born) and who didn’t find out till she was a adult struggling with feelings she didn’t understand, your comments strike a cord with me. I’m still not sure about the whole transgender thing, it seems like they’re saying God made a mistake (i.e. “I was born a male but I was supposed to be a female), but perhaps it’s not inherently sinful either.
I agree it is sad that a believer is sueing over something that is so understandably an issue for a Christian institution.
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