Professor threatens suit after allegedly being fired for teaching sex is determined biologically with X and Y chromosomes

A college professor in Texas is threatening to sue a community college after he was allegedly terminated because he taught that sex is determined by biology during a biology class.

Dr. Johnson Varkey is demanding that St. Philip’s College in San Antonio reinstate him, according to Fox News.

“Not later than July 5, 2023, please provide to us your written assurances that St. Philip’s College will reinstate Dr. Varkey as an Adjunct Professor for the fall semester, along with a written acknowledgement that his termination was not for cause but in fact violated federal and state law,” said the demand letter by Varkey’s attorneys with First Liberty Institute.

Varkey said that while the college has been nonresponsive as to why he was terminated, he suspects it was over a biology class where he stated that sex was determined by the X and Y chromosomes, he told CBN.

The termination letter references a class titled “BIOL 2402,” which has an online syllabus for the summer semester.

“Anatomy and Physiology II is the second part of a two-course sequence,” said the syllabus. “It is a study of the structure and function of the human body including the following systems: endocrine, cardiovascular, immune, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive (including nutrition), urinary (including fluid and electrolyte balance), and reproductive (including human development and genetics).”

Varkey’s termination letter reportedly referenced grievances filed against him for “religious preaching, discriminatory comments about homosexuals and transgender individuals, anti-abortion rhetoric, and misogynistic banter,” said CBN.

“I’ve been teaching for that school for the last 20 years and without any complaints,” he said. “So, I was shocked to see that letter.”

First Liberty Institute said that such terminations are a growing problem for normal people, who are being censored by corporate America on behalf of progressive causes, which have an anti-religious bias.

“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,” said the legal firm in a statement. “From the boardroom to the break room, this hostile corporate culture and anti-religious bias are a serious threat to religious freedom. This reduces good people to second-class status, which is outrageous, wrong and makes a mockery of laws that protect religious Americans from discrimination.”

Keisha Russell, counsel for First Liberty Institute, said that Varkey told students “that life begins at conception.”

Russell said that the professor was speaking from a biological point of view, upholding “ethical integrity” and “academic integrity.”

“When I saw the termination letter, and I see that the university is accusing him of religious preaching … I think that what they don’t understand is, even if he was, they still can’t fire him for saying something that he believes to be true,” she told CBN.

First Liberty said that if it doesn’t receive assurances by July 5 that the professor has been reinstated, “we will proceed as Dr. Varkey directs, which likely will include seeking redress in federal court against St. Philip’s College, the Alamo Colleges District, and any other responsible parties.”