1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I need you to support legislation that protects school officials from retaliation when they show basic empathy toward trans students facing harassment. Dr. Chet Hesson, an athletic director in Monroe County, was suspended for four months simply for saying his heart went out to a student athlete dealing with intense scrutiny. That student had been outed and deadnamed by Fox News outlet OutKick across 18 articles and 41 social media posts. A reporter attended four of her high school volleyball games. When Hesson expressed compassion for a teenager under that kind of attack, his district put him on leave the next day. The subsequent investigation found zero Title IX violations. Every claim was unsubstantiated. Yet Hesson lost four months of his career for doing exactly what County Prosecutor Eli Savit called "the bare minimum we should all expect" from educators. School officials need clear protection to advocate for vulnerable students without fear of suspension. Trans youth already face relentless targeting from national media figures like Riley Gaines who amplify attacks on children. When administrators can't even acknowledge that pressure without risking their jobs, we've failed both our educators and our students. Support measures that shield school personnel from retaliation when they defend students facing coordinated harassment campaigns.