Trans teacher sacked by Indian school says she was called ‘eunuch’ by student and harassed by staff

Jane Kaushik was asked to resign from her school within a week of joining. She tells Rituparna Chatterjee she was asked to keep her gender identity secret and let go after children found out

Jane Kaushik was asked to resign from her school within a week of joining (Jane Kaushik)

When Jane Kaushik, a trans woman, got a job as a trained graduate teacher (TGT) in a private school in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in November, she was thankful for the opportunity after years of rejection because of her gender identity.

She went through several rounds of the selection process, including interviews and calls with the managing director of Uma Devi Children’s Academy, and got her appointment letter on 22 November confirming her position to teach English and Social Sciences. She had not revealed her gender identity during the recruitment process, based on her past experiences.

But at the time of filling out the forms at the school’s campus at UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri, she explained that she had all the documents ascertaining her trans identity, namely a gazetted notification indicating name and gender change, and trans and medical certificates, among other things. The school seemingly had no problems but proposed one condition – that she keep her gender identity private, Kaushik tells The Independent.