**Student Denied Graduation Over Gender Remark Loses Firefighting Job Offer**
An 18-year-old student, barred from his high school graduation for stating that there are only two genders, has now had a firefighting job offer revoked. Travis Lohr’s off-script comment during a Kellogg High School assembly sparked an uproar of cheers and controversy. The Idaho community rallied in protest of the school’s decision, but the student stands by his belief and says that he wouldn’t have been punished if he had said “black lives matter.”
Travis Lohr was banned from his high school graduation ceremony for stating that, “Girls are girls, and guys are guys. There is no in-between.” Lohr made this off-script comment during a Kellogg High School assembly in Idaho. His remark, which was met with an uproar of cheers, led to more than 100 parents, students, and community members protesting against the school’s decision to bar him from participating in the graduation ceremony.
Despite the backlash, Lohr maintains his stance, and he told Fox News Channel host Rachel Campos-Duffy that he wouldn’t have apologized even if he had been asked to do so. “What I said I believe in, and I stand by it,” Lohr said in a Sunday interview on “Fox & Friends.” He believes that he wouldn’t have faced any punishment at all, let alone being barred from his high school graduation if he had said ‘black lives matter.’
However, the consequences of Lohr’s remark extended beyond his school life. He also revealed that a job offer he received to work for the forest service as a firefighter was rescinded. “I wasn’t able to walk at graduation. My offer to work for the forest service was rescinded,” Lohr said. He was set to start work on Sunday, but when he went to complete the final paperwork, he was informed by his boss that the job offer was being rescinded.
In response to this situation, Idaho state representative Heather Scott (R) took to Twitter, describing Lohr’s original statement at the assembly as a “scientific fact” and calling the whole situation “Unacceptable!” Despite initial safety concerns, Kellogg High School held its graduation ceremony on Saturday morning.
**Controversial Gender Remark Costs Student Much More Than Graduation**
Travis Lohr’s off-script comment at his high school assembly led to not only being barred from his graduation ceremony but also losing a job offer as a firefighter. Although the Idaho community rallied in support of Lohr, it was ultimately of little consolation. With potential consequences for free speech, this case serves as a stark reminder that speaking one’s mind can come at a heavy cost.
