A Pace University law student claims he is at risk of being expelled after he was accused of “aggressively” pointing at a transgender student and misgendering her when a recent panel about women’s sports descended into utter chaos.
Houston Porter, 28, is currently embroiled in a “sex-based discrimination” probe and faces a disciplinary hearing over the alleged saga that erupted on Oct. 15 at Pace’s law school in White Plains, NY, The Free Press reported.
Porter said the so-called incident “exploded” when he was co-moderating a panel — titled “Saving Women’s Sports” — in opposition to the Empire State’s controversial Proposition 1 ballot measure that aims to codify gender identity.
Critics claim the vague language about protecting gender identity opens the door for biological men who identify as transgender to compete against women in sports and would allow youngsters to get sexual reassignment surgery without parental consent.
Dozens of students and faculty — including many wearing trans pride pins — had packed the room and kicked off the moment the floor was opened up to questions, according to the third-year law student.
“There were a bunch of people in my face,” Porter recalled of the moment he saw his classmates and acquaintances jumping up to yell at him.
“I felt like I was about to get swarmed.”
Porter, who strenuously denies the discrimination claims leveled against him, insists that what unfolded next was a “misunderstanding” and “mischaracterization of the facts” that could now destroy his life.
“There was so much noise, multiple people talking at once, so maybe someone in the crowd heard me say ‘sir,’ or call some individual ‘a man’ when they don’t identify as that,” Porter said.
“But I didn’t say anything along those lines to the alleged person. I did say ‘excuse me’ to them and stood up, but I never made any gestures toward anyone.”
A week after the ordeal, Porter — who is a member of the conservative Federalist Society — said he was “shocked” to receive an email notifying him that he was the subject of a Title IX investigation after the trans student filed an official complaint.
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at educational institutions that receive federal funding.
The basis of the accusation against him is that he “aggressively pointed” at the student and “purposefully referred to her as a man in front of classmates, law school faculty and administrators, and guests,” according to Porter.
KC Johnson, a history professor at Brooklyn College specializing in Title IX disciplinary proceedings, said he is concerned about the law being “weaponized.”
“Savvy students recognize that they can use the Title IX bureaucracy to punish opponents on campus, or simply people that they don’t like,” Johnson told the Free Press.
“Instead of resolving issues through dialogue, or saying, ‘Hey, you’re a jerk,’ it’s become, ‘I’m going to invoke the power of the school against you.’ ”
Now, Porter fears the probe could result in him being expelled or suspended — and even banned from practicing law in the future given the bar exam requires applicants to disclose disciplinary actions against them.
“Any type of punishment will be super detrimental to my reputation and to my professional career,” Porter told the outlet.
“It feels like my whole world is crumbling down. I feel like everything that I’ve been working toward might get destroyed over a misunderstanding.”
Porter said he knew the Prop 1 subject was “touchy” but was initially “excited” for his LBGTQ peers to join the discussion with their opposing views.
“It’s really scary that the future generation of lawyers who are supposed to hear both sides before they make a decision are basically convicting me without hearing my side of the story,” Porter said.
“It makes us all better lawyers when we understand what the other side is saying, even if we may disagree with them.”
A Pace University spokesperson wouldn’t comment on the investigation or the charges Porter is facing.
“We are aware of the matter in question, speaking with the people involved, and following our internal process,” the spokesperson said.
They added that Pace “respects differing perspectives and encourages expression” but does not “condone harassment or intimidation when parties disagree.”
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