A biology professor at a Texas community college has claimed he was fired for “religious preaching” after he taught a lesson about how sex is determined by X and Y chromosomes.
Johnson Varkey, who has taught at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio for 20 years, claimed he was accused of “religious preaching” and let go after he discussed the human reproductive system during a lesson on Nov. 28, 2022, which led to four students walking out of the lecture hall.
The First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based nonprofit Christian conservative law firm, last week sent a letter to the school on behalf of the veteran educator demanding his reinstatement.
“The college fired him for teaching basic and widely accepted concepts of biology. We’re asking the college to immediately reinstate Dr. Varkey to his position and clear his record of any wrongdoing,” the institute said in a statement.
Varkey, an adjunct professor, has taught human anatomy and physiology to more than 1,500 students since 2003, according to First Liberty.
“During Dr. Varkey’s 20-year employment as a biology professor at St. Philip’s College, he consistently received exemplary performance reviews and was never subject to discipline. Throughout that time, he never discussed with any student his personal views — religious or otherwise — on human gender or sexuality,” it said.
The law firm claimed the four students stormed out of the lecture hall when Varkey “stated, consistent with his study of human biology and religious beliefs, that sex was determined by chromosomes X and Y. In two decades of teaching these basic, unremarkable concepts, no other students complained.”
The X and Y chromosomes — also known as the sex chromosomes — determine the biological sex of an individual. Females inherit an X chromosome while males inherit a Y chromosome.
In January, he received a “Notice of Discipline and Termination of Employment and Contract letter stating that the school ‘received numerous complaints’ about his ‘religious preaching, discriminatory comments about homosexuals and transgender individuals, anti-abortion rhetoric, and misogynistic banter,” First Liberty said.
The college’s letter also allegedly stated that Varkey’s teaching “pushed beyond the bounds of academic freedom with [his] personal opinions that were offensive to many individuals in the classroom.”
“In other words, he was fired for teaching true and widely accepted concepts. The statements he made are supported by research and consistent with his professional experience and education,” the law firm said.
Varkey was described as “a devout Christian” who volunteers as an associate pastor at his church and hosts a Bible-teaching radio ministry.
“Like millions of religious Americans, Dr. Varkey has a sincerely held belief that God created humankind male and female,” First Liberty said “His faith teaches that one’s sex is ordained by God, that one should love and care for the body that God gave him or her, and that one should not attempt to erase or alter his or her sex, whether through drugs or surgical means.”
In its letter, the law firm accused St. Philip’s College of violating multiple laws that protect Americans from being punished for holding or expressing their religious beliefs.
“When decisionmakers at St. Philip’s College terminated Dr. Varkey because of his religious beliefs and classroom statements about biology, they violated several federal and state laws, including the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” according to the missive.
“Dr. Varkey is confident this matter can be resolved without resort to legal action. He asks that St. Philip’s College reinstate him to his prior position as Adjunct Professor so that he can resume teaching students this fall, and that other professors and employees of the Alamo Colleges District be spared from experiencing similar discrimination,” the letter states.
he law firm said public universities cannot fire professors “for teaching actual science. It’s harmful to academic freedom. It’s also harmful to religious liberty, as the college is sending a message that people of faith are not welcome and need not apply.”
It added: “Dr. Varkey is the latest example of an everyday American who lost his job to a toxic cancel culture that is infecting employers across the country.”
The New York Post stated in its publication that it has reached out to St. Philip’s College for comment.
