A committed volunteer assistant football coach at H.J. Cody High School in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, has been dismissed after publicly criticizing gender ideology. Known as Taylor “Teej” Johannesson, the 37-year-old had served for years as the school’s defensive coordinator before the principal took action over a TikTok video in which he warned of the harmful effects of radical gender ideology.
In the candid five-minute clip, posted under the handle AntiWoke55555, Johannesson expressed deep concern that transgender ideology is being imposed on children without consent, noting its detrimental impact on mental health. He argued that it contributes to an increasingly volatile environment and referenced recent violent incidents involving gender-confused youth as alarming indicators of a looming crisis.
The principal, Alex Lambert, reportedly informed Johannesson that his video violated the province’s Education Act—a rationale Johannesson disputes. He alleges this was not an isolated clash of beliefs, citing a prior reprimand. Johannesson believes his conservative views—including opposition to pandemic mandates and what he calls “woke” school policy—have long made him a target.
Word of the firing sparked an outcry in the community. Assistant coach Jeremy Martins pledged to resign if Johannesson is not reinstated, calling the decision “deplorable,” “insane,” and a serious threat to free speech. Students and parents have also reached out to express concern, though they have reportedly been dismissed by administrators to “leave it to the adults.”
Johannesson’s ouster emerges amid growing resistance to progressive education policy in Alberta. It comes on the heels of new provincial measures safeguarding female athletes from gender-confused competitors and ongoing efforts to limit age-inappropriate content in school libraries.
Discussion about this post