Teacher hands out gender-identity graphic to explain preferred title. Parents react

Sonja Haller

A California middle school teacher was told to stop passing out a cheerful graphic titled "The Gender Unicorn" that explained gender identity, gender expression and attraction.

It also helped Denair Middle School science teacher Luis Davila Alvarado in California's San Joaquin Valley explain that Alvarado preferred to go by Mx. instead of Mr. on the first day of school, the Modesto Bee reported.

Some parents were not happy.

On the newspaper's Facebook page, debate raged with comments. Kelly Travis Everhart wrote, "As a parent protecting our child from anything is our job!! My child received this in school I would sue the County School District!!!!"

Colleen Murray-Ellis wrote: "So the problem is that it came from a science teacher instead of a health/ sex ed teacher? Kids are more sophisticated these days thanks to this age of information. I see no harm in educating them about diversity if it helps them be more open minded and understanding when they meet others who seem different to them."

'Getting-to-know-each-other' graphic

Alvarado, a second-year science teacher for 7th and 8th grade students, passed out the simple graphic to students as part of a "getting to know each other” exercise, the Bee reported.

"He gave a handout discussing gender in first and second periods," said Terry Metzger, Denair Unified School District Superintendent. "It was not an assignment and students were not required or asked to fill it out."

The graphic comes from Trans Student Educational Resources and shows forms of gender identity, gender expression, sex assigned at birth and sexual attraction.

Alvarado uses the courtesy title "Mx." instead of "Mr." and wanted to help students understand why, Metzger said.

The teacher did not have permission to pass out the graphic, she added.

Gender identity is discussed during health classes, but not science classes, according to California's curriculum requirements.

Principal saw the graphic, stopped distribution

Metzger said about 50 students received the handouts before school Principal Amanda Silva stopped the distribution.

Metzger said the principal was in Avarado's "second-period class as part of her routine visits on the first day of school. When she saw the content of the handout, she spoke with the teacher and directed him to stop distributing it."

School officials would not comment on what, if any, disciplinary action would occur to Alvarado. Metzer said it was a "poor decision."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Gender unicorn' handout from teacher shut down by middle school