Dr. Johnson Varkey

In November 2022, Dr. Varkey taught the scheduled lesson from his school-approved, assigned textbook. The content and illustrations from the book were projected on the screen describing the process of human reproduction. The union of and combination of the X and Y chromosomes coming from the male and female determine the sex of the zygote, which, without any additional genetic material added, will grow into a fully formed baby—a biological male or female.

In 19 years of teaching these established scientific concepts, no objections were ever raised in class until that day when four students walked out of his class in protest. Two months later, in January 2023, Dr. Varkey received a Notice of Discipline and Termination of Employment and Contract letter stating that the school “received numerous complaints” about his “religious preaching, discriminatory comments about homosexuals and transgender individuals, anti-abortion rhetoric, and misogynistic banter” and that his teaching “pushed beyond the bounds of academic freedom with [his] personal opinions that were offensive to many individuals in the classroom.”

Without any opportunity to discuss the situation with the college administration or the students who complained, Dr. Varkey was fired after only receiving an email. It is preposterous that, after teaching for more than 20 years, St. Philip’s College would fire Dr. Varkey for teaching basic, widely accepted concepts of biology from the textbook assigned to him.

On the weekends, Dr. Varkey is an associate pastor at a local church in the San Antonio area. The biology he teaches aligns with what he believes is taught in the Bible regarding the continuation of the human population. The Bible affirms what biology explains. But Dr. Varkey never preached or discussed his religious beliefs in class.

When the facts of the human reproductive system are rejected because they are out of sync with popular opinion or because someone stereotypes them as religious preaching, science has become irrelevant. Academic freedom is important because without civil discourse or the free exchange of ideas within a classroom, freedom of thought is destroyed.

The law prevents Americans from being punished by their employers for holding or expressing their religious beliefs. The college is sending a message that the facts of science don’t matter, and that religious people are not welcome and need not apply.

First Liberty Institute is fighting for the reinstatement of Dr. Varkey to his teaching position so that he can continue to teach young students the marvels of biology.

In July 2023, First Liberty filed a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) against St. Philip’s College on behalf of Dr. Varkey.

Then, in February 2024, First Liberty announced that St. Philip’s College reinstated Dr. Johnson Varkey. The parties reached a favorable settlement which, among other provisions, guarantees that Dr. Varkey will be back in the classroom by fall 2024..

“We are happy that the Alamo Community College District voluntarily reinstated Dr. Varkey,” said Kayla Toney, Associate Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “He is excited by this outcome, and we are glad that ACCD did the right thing. Dr. Varkey looks forward to continuing to educate students at ACCD.”