Transgender teacher removed from services due to sexual orientation moves Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a plea of a transgender person whose services as teacher were terminated by two private schools of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh after her sexual orientation became known to employers. “We will see what we can do,” said a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwla and Manoj Misra while issuing notices to the Centre, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh governments on the plea of the transgender woman.

Besides the government, the top court also sought responses from head of the school in Jamnagar in Gujarat and the chairperson of another private school based at Khiri in Uttar Pradesh. “The grievance of the petitioner is that her services were terminated in schools of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat after her gender identity was revealed. The petitioner says that she cannot pursue her remedies in two different high courts,” the bench said and fixed the plea for hearing after four weeks.

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The counsel appearing for the transgender person said she was given a letter of appointment in an Uttar Pradesh school and also taught for six days before being removed. In Gujarat school, she was given the letter of appointment and later denied the opportunity to join after her sexual identity was known, the lawyer said. The petitioner seeks enforcement of her fundamental rights.