Ohio’s Olentangy Local Schools can now penalize students who “intentionally” misgender, thanks to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, as The Columbus Dispatch reports. Those confused individuals who think they can be transgender despite biology and who claim that there are dozens of genders are now a protected and favored class. Rest in peace, First Amendment — and parental rights.

As Circuit Judge Alice Batchelder wrote in her dissent from the court’s majority ruling, the First Amendment does (in a world not gone mad on wokeness) stop the district “from compelling students to use speech that conveys a message with which they disagree, namely that biology does not determine gender.” Parents Defending Education (PDE) had argued in a legal filing that the schools’ policy violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments and even penalized students for activity on their devices when not at school. Such LGBTQ policies attack both freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

So now schools must suppress liberty to promote “safety.” The Founders would be appalled; as Ben Franklin said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Notice no one ever consults the feelings and safety of individuals who do not want to participate in the LGBTQ ideological lie.

The pernicious school district happily told The Dispatch that the ruling “affirmed the constitutionality of our policies, and we remain committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all of our students.” That doesn't include students who want to live in reality. There are days I am infinitely grateful I was homeschooled.