Nevada Supreme Court hosts gender ideology 'best practices' training for judges: Report

The Nevada Supreme Court hosted a course that taught judges how to "creat[e] access for trans and gender nonconforming people," according to documents recently obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

In July, the court hosted a one-time class titled "Transgender and Gender Nonbinary People in the Nevada Courts: Practical Tools and Best Practices for Nevada Judges," led by Todd Brower, the director of the Judicial Education Program at UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute.

The course included a presentation highlighting data and information about sexual orientation, gender expression, terminology, and pronoun use. Participants were also provided with hypothetical courtroom scenarios involving trans-identifying litigants, according to the slideshow presentation obtained by the DCNF.

"You have a case in your courtroom with Lawrence Thompson listed as a party," the presentation read. "A self-represented litigant with a feminine hairstyle and wearing a dress, high heels, and lipstick appears before you and says that this is their case."

"What if that person says their name is Laura Thompson? What do you call that person when speaking to them?" the presentation asked.

A later slide added to the presented hypothetical scenario, stating, "Assume you have decided and informed everyone that the person should be called Laura Thompson and referred to using female pronouns during the proceedings. However, opposing counsel calls this individual Lawrence and uses male pronouns."

"What, if anything, do you do?" it asked.

Brower's course advises judges to ask the litigant or their attorney how they should be addressed. Judges are advised to avoid "gender-specific titles like 'Sir' or 'Ma'am.'"

"Consider identifying people by role ('the minor' 'the witness' 'the defendant' 'juror 5') or by articles of clothing instead of using gendered language. e.g., the 'person in the blue shirt' instead of the 'lady in front,'" it stated.

The course suggests implementing court sign-in sheets or courtroom rules that ask for so-called preferred pronouns and honorifics to allow litigants to "self-identify." Judges are advised to put their pronouns on their benches, in their chambers, and on their email signatures.

"In your introduction at the start of the day, consider stating your pronouns there: 'Good morning. I am Judge ___; my pronouns are 'she/her,'" the course added.

A spokesperson for the Nevada Supreme Court told the DCNF that neither Brower, the Williams Institute, nor the UCLA School of Law received compensation for the online course.

The news outlet reported that the one-time course was not mandatory but noted that Nevada district and municipal court judges must complete 13 hours per year of continued legal education, which includes two hours of ethics courses. Judges who completed the gender ideology "best practices" webinar received 1.5 hours of continued education credits in ethics. It is unclear how many judges participated in the course, the DCNF reported.

The Superior Court of Santa Cruz County hosted a similar course last year, the DCNF originally reported Friday. The training, titled "Pride + Pronouns - Understanding Gender Identity in the Courtroom and Beyond," was presented by Tristan E.H. Higgins, a "consultant and coach on diversity, equity, and inclusion." Brower also spoke at the training.

Higgins told the DCNF she has worked with the San Diego and Santa Cruz courthouses.

"I have taught at the National Judicial College and the National Association of Women Judges, which included a cross-section of judicial officers from all over the country. I have trained district attorneys, city attorneys, U.S. attorneys, and the U.S. Department of Labor," Higgins explained.

Brower did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.

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