On Wednesday evening, Rachmad Tjachyadi resigned from his teaching position at Hebron High School in Carrollton, according to an email from Lewisville ISD. Tjachyadi, known as “Mr. T” to students, was placed on leave in mid-February after a video of him wearing a pink dress went viral.
When replying to questions regarding Monday night’s show of support for Tjachyadi during a Lewisville ISD Board meeting, a district representative also noted that “[a]fter a thorough review, the district affirmed there are no specific policies related to staff attire during dress up days.”
In spite of the district’s findings, the popular teacher decided the attention his case had brought had been too much to come back from, according to a statement he sent to school faculty on Wednesday.
Hawk Family - I want to thank you for your support over these last several weeks.We asked a Lewisville ISD representative when the district had reached the conclusion that Tjachyadi did not violate any policies and why it took so long announce it. We also inquired as to whether this incident will spur the district to consider changes to its policies as they relate to so-called “dress up days.”
I appreciate LISD’s support and the outcome of the investigation, which showed I did not violate any policies through my choice of clothes on a dress up day.
The negativity from outside our district has had an impact on me, and greatly influenced my decision. I want everyone to know that the decision to move on from Hebron was mine. It has been challenging to watch the negative external commentary about me and about our campus, but much more important to me is the support shown by my colleagues, students, and LISD.
My focus is and has always been our students, and I still believe in the important work being done at Hebron and in Lewisville ISD every day. It is because of my love for Hebron and our students that I have decided not to return. I know that might sound strange, but any time adult disagreements overshadow our students' learning and well-being, it is time to step away.
I want each and every one of you to know that you are valued and worthy of respect just as you are. I wish you all the very best.
"I can tell you the district conducted a thorough review of the situation, which takes time," the spokesperson wrote in an email to the Observer. "I can’t really speak to the timing of when specific conclusions were reached during the review. It is our practice to wait for the completion of a review before releasing any findings. I am not aware of any plans to develop new policies related to dress up days."
In the Feb.14 social media post of the video that sparked the controversy, Tjachyadi, a chemistry teacher, is seen wearing a pink dress, hat and boots on the school’s “spirit day,” a day on which teachers and students are allowed to wear costumes and have a bit of fun with their wardrobes.
A far-right X account posted the video with the caption “UNREAL. This is an actual teacher in @LewisvilleISD named Rachmad Tjachyadi. I’m told he also sometimes shows up to teach dressed in full drag and has a f*tish for wearing women’s clothing. How is this acceptable?!”
After placing the teacher on leave, the district received immediate scrutiny from national news outlets and the governor of Texas, who urged his social media followers to connect Tjachyadi's wearing a dress on spirit day to the need for his school voucher program, an initiative that has now failed over several years and many legislative sessions.
Stacey Monroe, the director for the Trans Empowerment Coalition, was one of the protesters who attended Monday night’s board meeting to support Tjachyadi. She told the Observer earlier this week that her group and many others they are working with hope that the district will “lead with love, not hate.” She also acknowledged the double-standard apparent as this issue has persisted.
“We wouldn't be in this situation if it had been a woman wearing pants of course,” she said. “Because this is a man wearing a dress and outwardly expressing their gender identity it then became an issue because it’s not quote-unquote the societal norm, but I think society is evolving and that minds and hearts are changing, but there are still some folks who choose willful ignorance.”
