Trans teacher ‘forced to resign’ days after starting school following transphobic backlash
Talia Avrahami earned a master’s degree in Jewish education from Yeshiva University’s Azrieli School of Jewish Education and Administration. (Facebook/Talia Avrahami)
A social studies teacher at a Jewish school in the US has been forced to resign from her role after being outed as trans.
Talia Avrahami began a job as an eighth-grade teacher at Magen David Yeshivah in Brooklyn, New York at the start of the school year.
She was allegedly asked to leave her post following a parents’ evening where a parent filmed and spread the video online, The Times of Israel reported.
The video attracted widespread abuse, with abusive messages littering her social media account and personal phone. She has also been targeted in person.
A clip of Avrahami leaving her apartment with her husband and child also circulated online, making her worry for their safety.
Prior to the parents’ evening, Avrahami recalls, a couple of weeks into the school year, a student erased an “s” where she had written “Mrs Avrahami” on her classroom whiteboard.
The student proceeded to change her message to make the welcome read “Mr Avrahami”.
She said the school condemned the incident and told the student it was unacceptable.
According to the Times, Avrahami was told she was not a good fit for the class.
An email sent to parents stated: “Please be advised that beginning Monday, September 19th, your child will have a replacement teacher for social studies.”
Avrahami told the Times: “It’s sad to see that some people want to derail our lives.
“We’re questioning whether or not our entire lives are ruined or not. It’s tough.”
The Orthodox school, which mainly serves children from the Syrian Jewish community, told The Times of Israel: “We respect this former instructor and after mutual agreement have parted ways in an amicable and professional manner.”
The Jerusalem Post said Avrahami has indicated she is considering legal action against the school.
A person authorised to speak on Avrahami’s behalf told The Jerusalem Post she had been pressured to leave on the premise that students needed a teacher trained to work with children with disabilities.
She was reportedly required to sign a non-disclosure agreement barring both her and the school from disparaging each other publicly in order to receive pay until January 2023.
PinkNews has contacted Magen David Yeshivah for comment.
