Houghton University in New York fires employees for using gender pronouns in email signatures, alumni protest

Alumni of Houghton University, a small Christian institution in New York, are raising concerns and criticizing the university's decision to fire two employees who refused to remove gender pronouns from their email signatures. Raegan Zelaya and Shua Wilmot, both residence hall directors at the university, were terminated in April after including "she/her" and "he/him" in their signatures.

The termination letter sent to Zelaya stated that she was fired because of her refusal to remove pronouns from her email signature and for criticizing the decision in the student newspaper. A spokesperson for the university, which is affiliated with the conservative branch of the Methodist Church, denied that employment relationships have ever been terminated solely based on the use of pronouns in staff email signatures. The spokesperson explained that the university has previously required the removal of extraneous content, including Scripture quotes, from email signatures.

Zelaya and Wilmot, who are not transgender, stated that their decision to include pronouns in their signatures was a gesture of inclusivity and to help people identify their genders in email communications. Wilmot defended his stance in a Facebook post, expressing gratitude for having the privilege to stand up for truth and justice, even at the expense of his job. He encouraged others facing similar situations to seek support and empowerment.


In response to the firings, nearly 600 alumni of Houghton University signed an open letter criticizing the university's actions. They viewed the terminations as part of a broader shift away from multiculturalism at the institution and pointed out the recent closure of a multicultural student center. The alumni expressed concerns about the current administration's failure to respect diverse theological and ethical views, as well as the lack of genuine dialogue regarding these differences.

In a response from university president Wayne D. Lewis, Jr., he defended the closure of the student center for budgetary reasons but did not directly address the firings. Lewis emphasized that while employees come from various Christian traditions, they are expected to be respectful of the positions and beliefs of the university. Houghton University upholds an orthodox Christian worldview rooted in the Wesleyan theological tradition, and employees are required to affirm their understanding and agreement to these commitments during their appointment and annually.

The controversy surrounding the firing of the two employees at Houghton University has sparked criticism from alumni who believe that the decisions made by the university's administration are not aligned with the institution's stated ideals of respect and dialogue.

FAQs

Q1:What is the gender ratio at Houghton College?
According to media reports, there are 895 students including 863 undergraduate and 32 graduate students at Houghton College for the academic year 2021-2022. By attending status, there are 821 full-time and 74 part-time students with a gender distribution of 337 male and 558 female students.

Q2:What is Houghton College's acceptance rate?
79.1 per cent (2021)