Gov. Bill Lee has signed a measure expanding protections for certain Tennesseans in school districts and state agencies who refuse to use someone’s preferred pronouns.
House Bill 1270, sponsored by Rep. Mark Cochran, R-Englewood, builds on legislation he passed with Sen. Paul Rose, R-Covington, in 2023 that protected public school K-12 teachers from civil liability if they did not want to use a student’s chosen name or pronouns.
The new legislation allows any students, teachers, employees and contractors of school districts, higher education institutions and state agencies to avoid civil liability for refusing to use someone’s preferred pronouns or name. It also requires teachers to obtain parental consent if a minor would like to be called a different name or pronoun in their classroom. They can also pursue legal action if they are required to use a person’s chosen name or pronoun and object.
“It’s just expanding that protection against coerced speech,” Cochran said by phone.
The Englewood lawmaker said the 2023 bill was brought to him by a Christian teacher who did not want to use her student’s preferred pronouns and was unsure if she was able to refrain from doing so without facing consequences.