Rochester teachers union expels counselor for 'mischaracterizing' the district's transgender guidelines

Jordan Shearer, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·4 min read
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May 14—ROCHESTER — The teachers union of Rochester Public Schools has expelled a member for "mischaracterizing" the school district's guidelines regarding transgender and gender-expansive students.

Vince Wagner, president of the Rochester Education Association, said the union's executive board voted to expel Christina Barton on Wednesday, May 8, which was the day after she spoke in front of the Rochester School Board for the second time.

Barton shared a copy of her expulsion letter with the organization American Experiment, which published it on its website.

"REA recognizes that you are free to hold whatever viewpoints you wish regarding LGBTQ+ students or any other matter, but viewpoints are not free from consequences, especially if they cause or contribute to unprofessional behavior," the letter said.

Barton spoke to the school board on March 19, expressing concern about the district's "guidelines for supporting transgender and gender-expansive students." At the time, she criticized that the school district does not proactively inform parents about whether their children are identifying in gender-nonconforming ways.

It was the first of several times Barton spoke about the guidelines themselves, as well as the way the district and the union responded to her comments.

Following her comments to the school board, she gave an interview to the media outlet Alpha News on April 15 that ran under the headline "Rochester counselor blows whistle on trans 'guidelines' that district was 'trying to hide.'"

On April 23, Wagner read a statement during a school board meeting, explicitly stating the REA's support for the district's guidelines. Although he did not mention Barton by name in his official statement, he referenced the staff at the elementary school where Barton works as a counselor. Following that meeting, he told the Post Bulletin that the union "reserved the right" to pursue disciplinary action against her.

On March 25, Barton spoke about the district's guidelines again during an interview on YouTube that's an hour and 20 minutes long. The video was titled "Christina Barton, Counselor, Rochester Public Schools, ISD535, on Dr. Kent Pekel's Secret Policy."

In citing the reasons for her expulsion, the letter from the REA said they included "but were not limited to" the YouTube interview she gave on the topic. The letter said that during the interview, Barton "mischaracterized Rochester Public Schools policies and practices regarding LGBTQ+ students, spoke negatively of fellow union members, and spread misinformation about transgender youth."

Barton then returned to speak with the school board on Tuesday, May 7, criticizing the district for informing her that she could lose her position if she continued to spread misinformation about the district's guidelines. During her comments to the board, Barton challenged the claim that she was spreading misinformation and reiterated her belief that the district's guidelines were not adequately known.

"My work culture, district and union is hostile. And it's filled with bullying, ostracism, intimidation, censoring, retaliation and passive aggressive behaviors," Barton said during the May 7 meeting. "The district is using a double standard and acting in a retaliatory manner. ... I am free to criticize school policy and question guidelines if I feel like it violates mine or others' constitutional rights."

The Post Bulletin reached out to Barton for comment on Tuesday, May 14, but did not get a response to messages left.

Even though Barton is no longer a member of the teachers union, that does not directly impact her employment with the district itself.

Wagner said that as far as he's aware, it's the first time the REA has expelled a member since the union's strike in 1991, during which union members crossed a picket line.

Wagner said the union based its decisions on Principle 1 of the National Education Association's code of ethics, specifically parts two through five which read:

* Shall not unreasonably deny the student's access to varying points of view.

* Shall not deliberately suppress or distort subject matter relevant to the student's progress.

* Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning or to health and safety.

* Shall not intentionally expose the student to embarrassment or disparagement.

"We had a lot of discussion and deliberation," Wagner said. "It wasn't something we undertook lightly."