LGBTQ Educators’ Perceptions of School Climate: A Case Study of One Rural Southeast Georgia School District

This study was an exploration of the life and career experiences of veteran LGBTQ educators who work or have worked at an identified Southeast Georgia public school district. Based on the National Survey of Educators’ Perceptions of School Climate, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) educators reported a negative school climate and feared harassment and termination if their LGBTQ status became known. To better understand the fears and strategies used by veteran LGBTQ educators living and working in Southeast Georgia, data collected came from a series of three interviews with five LGBTQ educators having more than five years of experience in the field of public education. The research approach was a qualitative case study with queer theory and the bioecological theory of school climate as theoretical frameworks. Data analysis consisting of memos, written narratives, and comparisons revealed distinct findings. First, veteran LGBTQ educators possessed a passion for education that reached back into their K-12 education. Second, fear of harassment by fellow faculty and community members eclipsed fear of termination or contract nonrenewal. Third, veteran LGBTQ educators at the identified school district used avoidance, accommodation, deflection, and reciprocity to manage their sexual orientation knowledge. Additionally, they separated themselves from the community, adapted gender performativity, and strove to outperform others as strategies to assure a successful career. Finally, LGBTQ educators wanted some degree of communication from administration accepting and protecting them from homophobic allegations by the community and discrimination from within the system. Keywords: LGBTQ, School Climate, Rural Conservatism, Homophobia, Workplace Discrimination, Sexual OrientationI. INTRODUCTION 1 -- Overview 1 -- Statement of the Problem 4 -- Purpose 4 -- Research Questions 4 -- Significance 5 -- Conceptual Framework 6 -- School Climate 6 -- Literature 8 -- Personal Experience 9 -- Summary of Methodology 9 -- Limitations 10 -- Chapter Summary 12 -- Definition of Key Terms 12 -- II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 15 -- School Climate 16 -- Queer Theory and LGBTQ Identity 20 -- LGBTQ Educators 23 -- Rural Areas 31 -- Openness 33 -- LGBTQ Inclusion 36 -- LGBTQ Curriculum 38 -- Diversity 42 -- Chapter Summary 44 -- III. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 47 -- Research Design and Method 48 -- Context 49 -- Participant Selection/Sampling 50 -- Researcher’s Role 51 -- Instrumentation and Data Collection 52 -- Interviews 53 -- Documentation 55 -- Data Analysis 55 -- Issues of Validity 57 -- Trustworthiness 58 -- Transferability 60 -- Ethical Issues 60 -- Chapter Summary 62 -- IV. PARTICIPANT PROFILES 63 -- RA 63 -- HM 74 -- EJ 83 -- TM 93 -- AJ 108 -- V. COLLECTIVE PORTRAIT 125 -- Data Analysis 125 -- Discussion of Themes 129 -- Chapter Summary 170 -- VI. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 171 -- Research Questions: Summary 173 -- Discussion 183 -- Final Discussion 190 -- Implications and Discussion of the Study 193 -- Limitations of the Study 194 -- Recommendations for Future Research 197 -- Final Conclusions 197 -- My Takeaway 200 -- REFERENCES 203 -- APPENDIX A: PARTICIPANT CONSENT AGREEMENT 222 -- APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW GUIDE AND QUESTIONS 224 -- APPENDIX C: INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD APPROVAL 229Tsemunhu, Rudo E.Arrastia-Chisholm, MeaganTruby, William F.Leech, Donald W.Ed.D.Education in Leadershi