Right-wing press claim ‘transphobic toddler’ suspended from school – here’s what we actually know

The Telegraph has claimed that a ‘transphobic’ British toddler was suspended from a nursery school. But the reporting fails to provide any clear detail into the incident, or evidence that transphobia alone was the reason for the child’s removal.

The story, which appeared on Monday (31 March), alleged that the child, who is said to be three or four years old, was suspended from a state school during the 2022-23 academic year because of “abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity”.

Reporters Tim Sigsworth and Ben Butcher, who broke the story in collaboration with data editor Matt Davis, said further details of the incident were not disclosed and that they could not verify the name of the school.

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A British state school’s decision to suspend a nursery-aged child for alleged transphobic behavior has sparked intense debate among educators, parents, and free speech advocates. According to Department of Education data, the child was suspended during the 2022-2023 academic year for “abuse against s3xual orientation and gender identity.” The figures show a rising trend in such suspensions, increasing from 164 cases in the 2021-22 academic year to 178 in 2022-23. The classification of these offenses was first introduced in the 2020-21 academic year, marking a steady year-on-year rise. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer distanced himself from the incident. A spokesperson for Starmer told The Telegraph, “Obviously, the Prime Minister would not support those sorts of measures,” while noting the specifics of the incident remain undisclosed. “Pupils and staff should never be subject to abuse, but any action taken to tackle behavior should also be proportionate,” the spokesperson said. #transgender #transphobia #lgbtqia #ukpolitics #news #queertiktok

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Despite the lack of details, the article quoted Sex Matters advocacy director Helen Joyce, who blamed the “extremes of gender ideology” for the alleged incident.

It also included opinions from Toby Young, the director of the right-wing Free Speech Union, who said it was “a powerful argument” against supporting trans people.

The Telegraph reported that, of the 787,221 pupils suspended across all age ranges in the 2022-23 school year, 178 were removed from class for homophobic or transphobic behaviour. Ninety-four pupils at state primary schools were said to have been permanently excluded for transphobia or homophobia.

GB News, Fox News and the Daily Mail are among other right-wing media outlets to have followed up on the story.

According to Google Trends, the search query “transphobic toddler” spiked on several occasions on Monday and Tuesday (1 April), while there had been a 200 per cent increase in searches for the related “toddler suspending for being transphobic”.

A spokesperson for Keir Starmer said the prime minister did “not support” the alleged suspension.

“Pupils and staff should never be subject to abuse but any action taken to tackle behaviour should also be proportionate,” they said.

Schools have a ‘legal and moral responsibility’ to deal with transphobia, experts say

The spread of the story comes after LGBTQ+ charity The Proud Trust published a toolkit for tackling transphobia in schools.

According to the organisation, 90 per cent of teachers in the UK want better trans-inclusion training to help transgender students feel more accepted in classrooms.

The toolkit offers a “clear, practical and easy-to-follow guide to create a supportive environment,” developed in response to the increasing demand for more training on LGBTQ+ issues.

“All schools have both a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that trans students feel equally welcomed, included [and] safe, and have the same opportunity to reach their full potential as everyone else,” a spokesperson told PinkNews.

“The toolkit recommends a pro-active, whole-school approach to prevent bullying taking place in the first place, and that any transphobic bullying be managed in the same way as other forms of bullying related to a protected characteristic, in line with the school’s own policies.”

Research for the LGBTQ+ charity Just Like Us revealed that transgender students are five times more likely to be bullied daily than their cisgender peers.

A poll of 3,000 UK pupils showed that 54 per cent of trans students have experienced bullying in some form in the past year, compared with 21 per cent of cis pupils. It also found that phrases such as “gay” were often used pejoratively and insultingly in many state schools.

The Proud Trust said its recommendations are informed by “research conducted among parents, schools and young people,” adding that 68 per cent of mums and dads expect schools to tackle transphobia.

“Many of us know what it feels like to be misgendered, ignored or made to feel like an afterthought,” an anonymous transgender pupil said. “But we also know how life-changing it is when a teacher stands up for us, gets it right and creates a space where we don’t have to constantly explain or defend ourselves.”

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