Rachmad Tjachyadi, a cross-dressing chemistry teacher in Texas, has been placed on administrative leave. This comes following a recording of him dressed in an all-pink dress and cowboy hat outfit on Valentine’s Day went viral.
A recording of Tjachyadi, who is a teacher at Herbron High School in Carrollton, in the attire was shared by “Libs of TikTok,” a conservative social media account.
The teacher has received criticism from some who have named him as a “groomer.” However, some students have come to his defense. Those students have stated that the teacher has made them feel safe.
“UNREAL,” Libs of TikTok, founded by Chaya Raichik, wrote.
“I’m told he also sometimes shows up to teach dressed in full drag. He also has a fetish for wearing women’s clothing,” the statement added.
“This is a grown a- man,” the recordings caption read.
Another picture that was shared depicts Tjachyadi in a colored tutu skirt and printed leggings.
“There’s no place for this nonsense in schools. Dress professionally at work and play dress up on your own time,” one person wrote underneath the viral X recording.
A representative for the school has said that the staff member has been placed on administrative leave. This will continue as the district looks into the matter.
On Thursday, an online petition for Tjachyadi to return was started and has gotten more than 6,000 signatures.
“He is a great teacher, he explains chemistry very well and has created a very fun and safe environment for his students,” said student Julia Ngo, who started the petition. She added that losing the teacher would be a great loss.
Records show that Tjachyadi has been an instructor of science in Texas since 2002.
