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A Texas high school teacher been suspended after video emerged of him talking to his students in flowing pink dress, and taking a class in a tutu.
Hebron High School in Lewisville took action after footage of chemistry teacher Rachmad Tjachyadi went viral and prompted a furious backlash.
One video shows the educator strolling about in a pink taffeta dress and matching pink hat and boots, as pupils look on.
Other photos show him wearing the outfit in the classroom and writing on a whiteboard while dressed in a multi-colored tutu.
In a letter to parents, principal Amy Broughton admitted it ‘would be natural for our families to have questions about this situation’, before insisting that because it is ‘under review, there is no additional information the district can share’.
Chemistry teacher Rachmad Tjachyadi at Hebron High School in Lewisville, Texas
Tjachyadi’s appearance in a pink dress seemed to make little impact on unimpressed students
He was also filmed taking a lesson in a multi-colored tutu and leggings
The footage went viral after it was posted by the Twitter account Libs of TikTok with the caption ‘this is a grown a*s man’.
‘I’m told he also sometimes shows up to teach dressed in full drag and has a fetish for wearing women’s clothing. How is this acceptable?!; the account added.
The post prompted thousands of replies with many demanding the teacher be sacked.
‘Texas already has a massive problem on its hands because parents still think it’s a far-off CA issue,’ tweeted Amy Haywood.
‘This is not acceptable,’ added Phil Larsen, ‘It is, however, accepted. Why?
‘Because of weak leadership in school boards across the country.’
‘Fetishes don’t belong on any school campus,’ wrote Lilly Belle Wild.
‘The whole world is a stage for their theatrics!’ added another.
‘I have no idea how our schools have fallen this low. Our children deserve better.’
Tjachyadi has worked as a teacher in schools around the Dallas area since 2002 after gaining an MS in chemical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
He was employed by the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District for eight years from 2015 according to his LinkedIn profile, and appears to have moved to the Lewisville district in recent months.
Other leaked photos show Tjachyadi wearing a dress seemingly modelled on that of the villain Ursula from Disney’s Little Mermaid, and sprawling on the floor in high heels and a knee-length glittery red dress gripping a clutch bag at one of the school’s prom nights.
The veteran teacher was more orthodoxly dressed to receive an award with colleagues
‘The whole world is a stage for their theatrics!’ wrote one furious critic on Twitter
One leaked photo shows Tjachyadi wearing a dress seemingly modelled on that of the villain Ursula from Disney’s Little Mermaid,
Tjachyadi was wearing his tutu and leggings as he faced off against anti-trans protersters
The Fowardslash project described his teaching objectives as ‘not only to educate the students in science but also to be an out LGBTQ+ role model in a professional setting’.
Tjachyadi has worked as a teacher in schools around the Dallas area since 2002 after gaining an MS in chemical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin
Tjachyadi has now been placed on administrative leave ‘pending review’ by Hebron High School principal Amy Broughton
One leaked photo showed him sprawling on the floor in high heels and a knee-length glittery red dress while gripping a clutch bag at one of the school’s prom nights.
One trans-friendly website suggested in its profile that Tjachyadi had been cross-dressing at school for years.
The Fowardslash project, which describes itself as ‘an archive that excavates and interrogates deviant queer subjects’, described his teaching objectives as ‘not only to educate the students in science but also to be an out LGBTQ+ role model in a professional setting’.
‘The choir director at his school asked him to dress up as one of the Supremes (along with three other female teachers) for an open mic night, and the rest is history,’ it explained.
‘Rachmad would utilize dress-up days at his schools to show off his feminine side in the education settings.’
The row echoes the case of transgender Canadian teacher Kayla Lemieux who sparked fury at her Toronto school after appearing with with prosthetic Z-cup breasts that she claimed were the result of a medical condition.
The Dallas Asian American Historical Society said it stood ‘in full solidarity with Rachmad and against the district’s discriminatory actions’.
And supportive students at Hebron High have started a change.org petition claiming the footage of Tjachyadi in the calf-length pink dress was taken on a ‘spirit day’, and demanding that he be allowed back into class.
More than 3,500 people have signed the petition, illustrated with a picture of Tjachyadi wearing multi-colored flowers on his head and badly applied lipstick.
‘He is being called a pedophile, among other names, however, this is NOT the case and he is beloved by many students at Hebron,’ the petition’s organizer Julia Ngo wrote.
‘He is a great teacher, he explains chemistry very well and has created a very fun and safe environment for his students.
‘He does not deserve to be defamed and lose his job.
Thousands of supporters have signed a petition demanding he be allowed to return to class
The Dallas Asian American Historical Society said it stood ‘in full solidarity with Rachmad and against the district’s discriminatory actions’
‘He is in no way a pedophile or publicizing a “fetish”.
‘In fact, many students in his class encouraged him to wear the dress in the first place.
‘He has pushed many students to become better and shows genuine care for his students.
‘The recent decision to place him on probation has left our community frustrated and disappointed.
‘It would be a great loss for Hebron High School to lose a teacher like Mr Tjachyadi. Free my boy Mr.T.’
