A toddler has been expelled from nursery after being accused of transphobia, new figures reveal. The child, aged either three or four, was suspended for “abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity,” according to data from the Department for Education.
The offences took place during the 2022-23 academic year at a state school, The Telegraph reports. Statistics show that 94 pupils at similar primary schools were suspended or permanently excluded for transphobia or homophobia in the same year. This included 10 pupils from Year 1 and three from Year 2, where the maximum age was seven, as well as one child of nursery age.
Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, said: “Every once in a while, the extremes of gender ideology throw up a story that seems too crazy to believe, and a toddler being suspended from nursery for so-called ‘transphobia’ or homophobia is one such example.
“Teachers and school leaders involved in this insanity should be ashamed of themselves for projecting adult concepts and beliefs on to such young children.”
Across all primary and state schools, the number of pupils suspended or expelled for homophobic or transphobic behaviour rose from 164 in 2021-22 to 178 in 2022-23. The highest number of suspensions for this reason in 2022-23 was in Essex, with 16 cases, followed by Birmingham with 15, Bradford with 11, and Norfolk with eight.