Fired Spring Arbor University Transgender Prof
reaches settlement
Fired Spring Arbor University
Transgender Prof reaches settlement
Will not return to SAU classrooms
Originally printed 03/15/2007 (Issue 1511 - Between The Lines News)
Online update from Between The Lines Newspaper
DETROIT-- Julie Marie Nemecek has reached an agreement with the conservative Christian University that fired her last month. The federal mediation resulted in a "mutually satisifactory" resolution. Exact terms of the resolution, or the mediation process are sealed by agreement by both parties, however, Nemecek says she will not be returning the SAU classroom. She says she is now seeking a teaching post elsewhere, and may focus some time on lobbying efforts and diversity training.
Will not return to SAU classrooms
Originally printed 03/15/2007 (Issue 1511 - Between The Lines News)
Online update from Between The Lines Newspaper
DETROIT-- Julie Marie Nemecek has reached an agreement with the conservative Christian University that fired her last month. The federal mediation resulted in a "mutually satisifactory" resolution. Exact terms of the resolution, or the mediation process are sealed by agreement by both parties, however, Nemecek says she will not be returning the SAU classroom. She says she is now seeking a teaching post elsewhere, and may focus some time on lobbying efforts and diversity training.
Spring Arbor professor's journey to womanhood
Spring Arbor professor's journey to
womanhood
By Todd A. Heywood and Wire Reports
Originally printed 03/08/2007 (Issue 1510 - Between The Lines News)
SPRING ARBOR
Julie Marie Nemecek always knew there was something different about her growing up. Something she could not quite put a finger on.
That was before Julie, though. That was when she was John.
"I remember when I was in fifth or sixth grade it was made clear to me I could not hang out with the girls during recess," Nemecek told the Lansing Community College Gay Straight Alliance. "So I slipped into macho mode."
That mode lasted for most of Julie's 55 years, until 2003 when she was cruising the internet and discovered information about being transgender. "Oh my gosh, that's me. That's me," she told the students she remembered thinking. When her wife, Joanne, of 35 years returned home from a trip, Julie told her.
"We spent five or six weeks reading and praying and crying,"Julie says.
Joanne, 55, didn't know if she could stay in the marriage, especially when John wanted to transition further into living as a woman. She thought John's lifestyle was sinful but eventually changed her mind after learning more about his condition.
"The person I love and care about the most is Julie. This is the right thing to do. I gave up the fight," said Joanne, who sometimes catches herself referring to Julie as "he" or "him." Julie says she's attracted sexually to Joanne.
Julie was diagnosed as transgender in December of 2003 and immediately shared the diagnosis with her immediate supervisor at the conservative Christian university where she worked, Spring Arbor University. What followed after, she says, were a series of more and more repressive actions, including a slash in her salary of twenty percent, restrictions appearing on campus, and even directing her not to identify as an employee of Spring Arbor University.
When she was spotted at a local grocery store wearing a Spring Arbor University t-shirt, university officials took action and informed her that her contract would not be renewed.
"If we allow you to continue these appearances that manifest your current transgender circumstance, we open ourselves to questions of inconsistency in upholding our Christian beliefs," Randy Rossman, the school's Director of Human Resources, wrote Oct. 26, 2006.
Five days later, Julie filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against Spring Arbor University, which receives some public money to educate students. Soon thereafter, her world changed when the Jackson Citizen Patriot wrote about her plight.
Since then, the world has turned upside down, and Julie has become a cause celebre for her fight against the university. She says she has no regrets, and says she is at peace with her decision to go public.
"Joanne and I were talking one evening and we both realized we had this tremendous peace," says Julie. She says her faith is what has provided that peace.
She was a Baptist minister, ministering to churches in Chicago and Grand Rapids before going to Spring Arbor sixteen years ago. Coming out as transgender caused her to lose her relationship with the Baptist church she and Joanne had attended regularly, and in which Julie had served filled-in minister duties for. They just weeks ago, joined a Presbyterian church in Jackson, as Julie and Joanne.
Julie says her three adult sons, ages 31, 28 and 25, have been very supportive. Her eldest son is a Baptist minister in northern Michigan, and he did a sermon about the situation, then invited his congregation to join him for a conversation on transgenderism. Julie says the congregation responded by meeting with her son and his wife for over two hours.
"They rallied around him, and supported him," says Julie.
"My middle son gave me a hand written note thanking me," she says. "That he now understood the person I was, and that was part of what helped him become the person he is."
Julie says she has that note hung up by her desk. Beside a cartoon which reads "I got to be me, because everyone else is already taken."
Julie says her parents and sister are also supportive. "My sister calls me the sister I never had," Julie says with a laugh.
Her story has been subject to dozens of news reports and articles, and Gary Glenn president of the American Family Association of Michigan has stated support for Spring Arbor's actions.
"We believe it's their decision to make as a private Christian institution," said Gary Glenn of AFA. "This is an adult role model for teenagers whose parents thought by sending them to a Christian school they were not likely to be exposed to such lifestyle choices and emotional problems."
Julie's response is simple. "The organization he represents is anti-homosexual which he seems to equate with TG/TS. Another sign of religious ignorance and unwillingness to learn," Julie wrote in an email. "I am confident that if Jesus were at our mediation on Tuesday that he would be sitting on my side of the table and holding my hand."
By Todd A. Heywood and Wire Reports
Originally printed 03/08/2007 (Issue 1510 - Between The Lines News)
SPRING ARBOR
Julie Marie Nemecek always knew there was something different about her growing up. Something she could not quite put a finger on.
That was before Julie, though. That was when she was John.
"I remember when I was in fifth or sixth grade it was made clear to me I could not hang out with the girls during recess," Nemecek told the Lansing Community College Gay Straight Alliance. "So I slipped into macho mode."
That mode lasted for most of Julie's 55 years, until 2003 when she was cruising the internet and discovered information about being transgender. "Oh my gosh, that's me. That's me," she told the students she remembered thinking. When her wife, Joanne, of 35 years returned home from a trip, Julie told her.
"We spent five or six weeks reading and praying and crying,"Julie says.
Joanne, 55, didn't know if she could stay in the marriage, especially when John wanted to transition further into living as a woman. She thought John's lifestyle was sinful but eventually changed her mind after learning more about his condition.
"The person I love and care about the most is Julie. This is the right thing to do. I gave up the fight," said Joanne, who sometimes catches herself referring to Julie as "he" or "him." Julie says she's attracted sexually to Joanne.
Julie was diagnosed as transgender in December of 2003 and immediately shared the diagnosis with her immediate supervisor at the conservative Christian university where she worked, Spring Arbor University. What followed after, she says, were a series of more and more repressive actions, including a slash in her salary of twenty percent, restrictions appearing on campus, and even directing her not to identify as an employee of Spring Arbor University.
When she was spotted at a local grocery store wearing a Spring Arbor University t-shirt, university officials took action and informed her that her contract would not be renewed.
"If we allow you to continue these appearances that manifest your current transgender circumstance, we open ourselves to questions of inconsistency in upholding our Christian beliefs," Randy Rossman, the school's Director of Human Resources, wrote Oct. 26, 2006.
Five days later, Julie filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against Spring Arbor University, which receives some public money to educate students. Soon thereafter, her world changed when the Jackson Citizen Patriot wrote about her plight.
Since then, the world has turned upside down, and Julie has become a cause celebre for her fight against the university. She says she has no regrets, and says she is at peace with her decision to go public.
"Joanne and I were talking one evening and we both realized we had this tremendous peace," says Julie. She says her faith is what has provided that peace.
She was a Baptist minister, ministering to churches in Chicago and Grand Rapids before going to Spring Arbor sixteen years ago. Coming out as transgender caused her to lose her relationship with the Baptist church she and Joanne had attended regularly, and in which Julie had served filled-in minister duties for. They just weeks ago, joined a Presbyterian church in Jackson, as Julie and Joanne.
Julie says her three adult sons, ages 31, 28 and 25, have been very supportive. Her eldest son is a Baptist minister in northern Michigan, and he did a sermon about the situation, then invited his congregation to join him for a conversation on transgenderism. Julie says the congregation responded by meeting with her son and his wife for over two hours.
"They rallied around him, and supported him," says Julie.
"My middle son gave me a hand written note thanking me," she says. "That he now understood the person I was, and that was part of what helped him become the person he is."
Julie says she has that note hung up by her desk. Beside a cartoon which reads "I got to be me, because everyone else is already taken."
Julie says her parents and sister are also supportive. "My sister calls me the sister I never had," Julie says with a laugh.
Her story has been subject to dozens of news reports and articles, and Gary Glenn president of the American Family Association of Michigan has stated support for Spring Arbor's actions.
"We believe it's their decision to make as a private Christian institution," said Gary Glenn of AFA. "This is an adult role model for teenagers whose parents thought by sending them to a Christian school they were not likely to be exposed to such lifestyle choices and emotional problems."
Julie's response is simple. "The organization he represents is anti-homosexual which he seems to equate with TG/TS. Another sign of religious ignorance and unwillingness to learn," Julie wrote in an email. "I am confident that if Jesus were at our mediation on Tuesday that he would be sitting on my side of the table and holding my hand."
Mediation for transgender professor with Spring Arbor
University
Mediation for transgender professor
with Spring Arbor University
Originally printed 03/08/2007 (Issue 1510 - Between The Lines News)
DETROIT -- Julie Marie Nemecek, 55, a transgender woman suing her employer the conservative Christian university Spring Arbor University met with Spring Arbor officials and a federal mediator for over 7 hours Tuesday, says Nemecek in an email update.
Nemeck's case is making national headlines as she pursues maintaining her professor's position at the University south of Jackson. The University informed her she would no longer have a position at the end of spring semester because of her transformation from the Rev. Dr. John Nemecek to Julie Marie Nemecek. The university claims her gender identity transformation was not Christian.
"We met in mediation for 7.5 hours today (just got home) and will resume again on Monday at 10 a.m. Some progress but no resolution yet," she wrote Tuesday night.
Originally printed 03/08/2007 (Issue 1510 - Between The Lines News)
DETROIT -- Julie Marie Nemecek, 55, a transgender woman suing her employer the conservative Christian university Spring Arbor University met with Spring Arbor officials and a federal mediator for over 7 hours Tuesday, says Nemecek in an email update.
Nemeck's case is making national headlines as she pursues maintaining her professor's position at the University south of Jackson. The University informed her she would no longer have a position at the end of spring semester because of her transformation from the Rev. Dr. John Nemecek to Julie Marie Nemecek. The university claims her gender identity transformation was not Christian.
"We met in mediation for 7.5 hours today (just got home) and will resume again on Monday at 10 a.m. Some progress but no resolution yet," she wrote Tuesday night.
Trans firing may cause Lansing Community College to
sever partnership with Spring Arbor
Trans firing may cause Lansing
Community College to sever partnership with Spring
Arbor
By Todd A. Heywood
Originally printed 03/01/2007 (Issue 1509 - Between The Lines News)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Todd A. Heywood is a former Trustee of Lansing Community College and is currently suing the college Board of Trustees in Ingham County Circuit Court for allegedly violating the Open Meetings Act.
LANSING - A lucrative partnership between Lansing Community College and the embattled Spring Arbor University may be in jeopardy due to SAU's recent firing of a transgender employee.
LCC officials confirm the state's third largest community college is considering ending a proposed partnership between the two organizations because of SAU's recent firing of Julie Marie Nemecek, who is transgendered, and a series of repressive policies, including an antigay policy.
The proposed partnership would have allowed SAU to offer classes and degrees at a new multimillion dollar building at LCC's downtown campus. The new building, dubbed the University Center, is paid for with state dollars and matching funds from a recent millage passed by LCC district voters.
"It is fair to say the College is considering not going forth with the draft contract," says LCC spokesperson Tess Brown.
SAU was one of eight universities selected through a formal proposal process to be partners with LCC in the University Center. Others include Western Michigan, U of M Flint, and Central Michigan University.
In exchange for advertising, marketing and space, the partners would pay $25,000 in annual fees as well as rental rates for specific uses in the building. The partners would then offer four-year and post-graduate degree studies at LCC, addressing what officials say is a problem with two-year to four-year transfer students's fear of the larger environment of a four-year university.
Questions began swirling shortly after a Jackson newspaper ran the story of Nemecek's contract with Spring Arbor University, which will not be renewed this June because she is transgender.
As first reported last week in BTL, LCC has policies preventing discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression and sexual orientation. An investigation by BTL now reveals that SAU is not only dismissing Nemecek for being transgender, which the university contends is not "Christianâ" but also uncovered written anti-gay policies.
Spring Arbor's Student Handbook, available on the university's web site, has a code of conduct for the "Christian Community," which includes the following statement:
"4. All students regardless of age, residency or status are required to abstain from cohabitation, any involvement in pre-marital, extramarital and same gender sexual relationships."
Further in the document the University lists possible punishments for violating the Code of Conduct. For "Immoral Sexual Conductâ" a first offense will result in suspension or dismissal from the university, a second offense will result in dismissal. A first offense for possessing pornography or sexual harassment could result in just probabtion.
"I find it ironic you can look three times," says Sean Kosofsky, director of policy at Triangle Foundation, "but you can only touch twice."
It is unclear if SAU would remove a student for stating he or she was homosexual. SAU refused to return numerous phone calls and emails on this matter.
Lansing City Attorney Brigham Smith says the SAU policy is a "conceivable" violation of the city of Lansing's newly minted Human Rights Ordinance, and says anyone who has been a student at the current SAU extension site could have standing to ask the city to act against SAU on the matter.
"The city could regulate that conduct in the city," Smith told BTL in a phone interview.
Smith also says the act of firing Nemecek for being transgender would be a violation, and if Nemecek ever worked in the Lansing office, she could have standing to file a complaint.
Whether LCC would be in violation of the ordinance is a more complicated legal question, Smith says. But he is concerned that it would indeed be a violation, and says he is prepared if a case is brought, to look at it.
LCC is not waiting around for that to happen though.
Dr. Judith Cardenas, president of LCC, told BTL in an exclusive interview on this matter, that she is concerned about the situation. A letter sent to Trustees last week says she has asked for a legal opinion as to whether or not SAU violated the terms of the proposal, which include adherence to LCC's equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies.
"We are doing our due diligence on this," she says. "So that if we have to end this relationship, we can. And I will make that recommendation if it is necessary, that's my job as president."
Cardenas says the questions the actions of SAU have brought forward are important. "We are using this situation as an opportunity to have a conversation with all the partners on this issue, as well as many more. The attention on this matter has merely sped up the timeline for that dialogue."
She said that on Friday she called SAU Vice President Dr Betty Overton Atkins about this situation, but received a troubling response. "She acted very surprised at our concern and told me she had not received any calls from other partners about the situation. She didn't understand the difference (between LCC and other partners) reactions."
Based on that conversation, Cardenas says, the college is awaiting the outcome of an EEOC arbitration meeting between Nemecek and SAU on March 6 before making any final determinations.
But Cardenas is clear the partners who will eventually use LCC's building are more than just tenants. "The collaboration level has to be different. They are touching the lives of our students on our campus. They have to create a more inclusive environment."
"I am concerned that we appear not to be committed to our policies," says Cardenas. "But I want to be clear that we are committed to those policies and will not do anything that will interfere with the dignity or respect of our students."
By Todd A. Heywood
Originally printed 03/01/2007 (Issue 1509 - Between The Lines News)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Todd A. Heywood is a former Trustee of Lansing Community College and is currently suing the college Board of Trustees in Ingham County Circuit Court for allegedly violating the Open Meetings Act.
LANSING - A lucrative partnership between Lansing Community College and the embattled Spring Arbor University may be in jeopardy due to SAU's recent firing of a transgender employee.
LCC officials confirm the state's third largest community college is considering ending a proposed partnership between the two organizations because of SAU's recent firing of Julie Marie Nemecek, who is transgendered, and a series of repressive policies, including an antigay policy.
The proposed partnership would have allowed SAU to offer classes and degrees at a new multimillion dollar building at LCC's downtown campus. The new building, dubbed the University Center, is paid for with state dollars and matching funds from a recent millage passed by LCC district voters.
"It is fair to say the College is considering not going forth with the draft contract," says LCC spokesperson Tess Brown.
SAU was one of eight universities selected through a formal proposal process to be partners with LCC in the University Center. Others include Western Michigan, U of M Flint, and Central Michigan University.
In exchange for advertising, marketing and space, the partners would pay $25,000 in annual fees as well as rental rates for specific uses in the building. The partners would then offer four-year and post-graduate degree studies at LCC, addressing what officials say is a problem with two-year to four-year transfer students's fear of the larger environment of a four-year university.
Questions began swirling shortly after a Jackson newspaper ran the story of Nemecek's contract with Spring Arbor University, which will not be renewed this June because she is transgender.
As first reported last week in BTL, LCC has policies preventing discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression and sexual orientation. An investigation by BTL now reveals that SAU is not only dismissing Nemecek for being transgender, which the university contends is not "Christianâ" but also uncovered written anti-gay policies.
Spring Arbor's Student Handbook, available on the university's web site, has a code of conduct for the "Christian Community," which includes the following statement:
"4. All students regardless of age, residency or status are required to abstain from cohabitation, any involvement in pre-marital, extramarital and same gender sexual relationships."
Further in the document the University lists possible punishments for violating the Code of Conduct. For "Immoral Sexual Conductâ" a first offense will result in suspension or dismissal from the university, a second offense will result in dismissal. A first offense for possessing pornography or sexual harassment could result in just probabtion.
"I find it ironic you can look three times," says Sean Kosofsky, director of policy at Triangle Foundation, "but you can only touch twice."
It is unclear if SAU would remove a student for stating he or she was homosexual. SAU refused to return numerous phone calls and emails on this matter.
Lansing City Attorney Brigham Smith says the SAU policy is a "conceivable" violation of the city of Lansing's newly minted Human Rights Ordinance, and says anyone who has been a student at the current SAU extension site could have standing to ask the city to act against SAU on the matter.
"The city could regulate that conduct in the city," Smith told BTL in a phone interview.
Smith also says the act of firing Nemecek for being transgender would be a violation, and if Nemecek ever worked in the Lansing office, she could have standing to file a complaint.
Whether LCC would be in violation of the ordinance is a more complicated legal question, Smith says. But he is concerned that it would indeed be a violation, and says he is prepared if a case is brought, to look at it.
LCC is not waiting around for that to happen though.
Dr. Judith Cardenas, president of LCC, told BTL in an exclusive interview on this matter, that she is concerned about the situation. A letter sent to Trustees last week says she has asked for a legal opinion as to whether or not SAU violated the terms of the proposal, which include adherence to LCC's equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies.
"We are doing our due diligence on this," she says. "So that if we have to end this relationship, we can. And I will make that recommendation if it is necessary, that's my job as president."
Cardenas says the questions the actions of SAU have brought forward are important. "We are using this situation as an opportunity to have a conversation with all the partners on this issue, as well as many more. The attention on this matter has merely sped up the timeline for that dialogue."
She said that on Friday she called SAU Vice President Dr Betty Overton Atkins about this situation, but received a troubling response. "She acted very surprised at our concern and told me she had not received any calls from other partners about the situation. She didn't understand the difference (between LCC and other partners) reactions."
Based on that conversation, Cardenas says, the college is awaiting the outcome of an EEOC arbitration meeting between Nemecek and SAU on March 6 before making any final determinations.
But Cardenas is clear the partners who will eventually use LCC's building are more than just tenants. "The collaboration level has to be different. They are touching the lives of our students on our campus. They have to create a more inclusive environment."
"I am concerned that we appear not to be committed to our policies," says Cardenas. "But I want to be clear that we are committed to those policies and will not do anything that will interfere with the dignity or respect of our students."