A Maryland mother claims she was fired from her job after complaining about a derogatory term in a high school musical.
Nicola Van Kuilenburg, of Frederick, Md. said she was made aware that a dress rehearsal of Shrek: The Musical, at Oakdale High School, on April 18, included the word “tranny”.
Van Kuilenburg is the parent of a transgender student who recently graduated from Frederick County Public Schools.
"It [tranny] is generally the word that's used to attack transgendered people before an act of violence,” she said.
The LGBT advocacy organization GLAAD has classified “tranny” as a word that dehumanizes transgender people.
Van Kuilenburg criticized the use of the word, in the high school dress rehearsal, on social media.
She also decided to contact the high school principal, musical director and the FCPS Central Office, through her personal email account, about its presence in the performance.
"I sent an email asking them to remove the word," she said.
Van Kuilenburg has been noted as a prominent local advocate for transgender rights.
In 2017, both she and her son helped FCPS create a new school district policy aimed at creating welcoming and affirming schools for transgender students in Frederick County.
However, the Frederick mother told WUSA9 the school district initially refused to drop the word from its performance after she made her request. Eventually, FCPS did reverse its decision.
Van Kuilenburg saw the outcome as a step in the right direction, but that satisfaction would ultimately be short-lived.
In May, Van Kuilenburg said she was fired from her position of employment with the Maryland State Education Association in Frederick County.
Van Kuilenburg said she believed she was terminated by MSEA because the teachers union viewed her stance on the performance as a conflict of interest.
"That if you work for the union,” she said. “Nothing that you can do could ever possibly harm an educator."
In this case, Van Kuilenburg said she suspected MSEA believed her criticisms on social media could have harmed the musical director who oversaw the performance of Shrek: The Musical.
Van Kuilenburg said she never wanted to get anyone fired nor did she intend to do any harm. She said she only wanted to protect her child.
"I think all parents would agree that your job is to keep your child safe,” she said. “Particularly if you have a child that is a part of a vulnerable population."
WUSA9 reached out to MSEA’s President and Executive Director to learn why Van Kuilenburg was dismissed from her position. The station received the following statement from Adam Mendelson, the Assistant Executive Director of MSEA:
“We are not in a position to comment on personnel matters. However, any insinuation that the employment action was taken due to the nature of her advocacy is inconsistent with both our values and our pride in the work that our members in Frederick County and elsewhere have done to ensure a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students.”
Van Kuilenburg also said she was disturbed by the actions of the Frederick County School Board around the time of her termination from MSEA.
She claimed the school board chair, Brad Young, congratulated MSEA in a letter for terminating her from her position.
"It is our understanding Ms. Van Kuilenburg has been removed from her position in Frederick County and the Board is appreciative of this decision,” read Young’s letter to MSEA Executive Director David Helfman.
Young told WUSA9 in an email that the board did not “congratulate” MSEA.
“We did not thank them for terminating her, but for removing her from Frederick County,” he said.
Young’s letter did shed light on FCPS’ feelings about Van Kuilenburg’s actions in April.
“Comments she made on the social media site were inappropriate in her role as UniServ Director and proved to be very disruptive to the teacher’s employment and the education environment for our students,” the letter read. “Additionally, this appeared to have occurred over the course of her workday as a UniServ Director for MSEA.”
The MSEA did not comment as to whether FCPS’ stance on Van Kuilenburg influenced its decision to fire the Frederick mother.
Either way, Van Kuilenburg said she believes the entire matter has been an effort to stifle her free speech.
"I'm a taxpayer,” she said. “I did not sign anything that indicated that I have no rights as a parent."
Despite her termination, Van Kuilenburg was still able to file a grievance pertaining to the situation impacting her employment.
She said she is willing to take the matter to arbitration and that she wants to be reinstated in her position.
