Madera Community College history professor David Richardson is on paid administrative leave after he allegedly handed out chocolate bars deemed “transphobic” at a college event.
Richardson, a tenured professor who identifies himself as a gay conservative, could not be reached by GV Wire for comment Monday.
But he told the Just The News website that he has been cited for “serious misconduct” because the wrappers of the candy bars identified as HeHim if the chocolate contained nuts and SheHer if they were nut free.
“Mr. Richardson is on a paid administrative leave, and this is a personnel matter and no further comment will be made,” Madera Community College spokesman Cory Burkarth told GV Wire on Monday.
The chocolate bars that Richardson reportedly distributed were named Jeremy’s Chocolates after Jeremy Boreing, the CEO of the conservative website Daily Wire. The candy was created in response to a Hershey’s chocolate ad campaign that featured a transgender woman.
To read more of the Just the New story, click here.
Lawsuit Filed Over Personal Pronouns
The candy bar incident isn’t Richardson’s first protest over preferred gender pronouns, by which people self-identify with male, female, plural, or nonbinary pronouns, or use “neopronouns” such as xe, zie, and hir.
He and another academic filed suit last year in Fresno County Superior Court against State Center Community College District, which includes Madera Community College, claiming that their First Amendment rights have been violated because they are being punished for expressing views that are deemed politically incorrect.
Richardson faced discipline after he used the pronouns “do, re, mi” in a Zoom session on personal pronoun etiquette that was led by a transsexual professor.
The lawsuit was subsequently moved to federal court.
