Georgia educator says she was forced out after telling pupil she is gay

A special education paraprofessional in Georgia says she was pressured to resign after acknowledging she is gay during an exchange with a primary school pupil. Cameryn Lovett, who worked at Mulberry Creek Elementary School in Harris County, said the incident unfolded as children waited to be collected at the end of the school day. 

Lovett reported that a Year 4 pupil had been making disparaging remarks about gay people. In response, she sought to challenge the comments, telling the child that he did, in fact, know someone who was gay. She described the moment as a brief attempt to correct misinformation rather than a wider discussion about sexuality. 

However, school officials deemed the exchange inappropriate. Lovett said the district’s human resources department presented her with an ultimatum: resign or be dismissed. She opted to resign, having been advised it would look better on future job applications, but later discovered the decision prevented her from pursuing legal action or accessing unemployment benefits. 

Although Georgia does not have a “Don’t Say Gay” law, educators can still face disciplinary review under professional conduct rules. Lovett now questions whether a heterosexual colleague would have faced similar scrutiny for disclosing personal information in comparable circumstances.