High School Coach Says He Lost Position With Alberta School Over Gender Transition Comments on Social Media

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An Alberta high school coach says he’s been removed from his position over social media comments about gender issues.

Coach Teej Johannesson, who was coaching at H.J. Cody High School in Sylvan Lake, made the announcement in a Sept. 1 post on Facebook.

“It is with a broken heart I have to say I have been removed from my coaching position due to a social media post where I speak out against giving drugs and surgery to minors,” Johannesson said.

He called coaching his “lifeline,” adding that he would be meeting with the superintendent over the issue.

The comments in question were made in a TikTok video on Johannesson’s personal account.

In the video, he talks about the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis where Robert “Robin” Westman, a transgender individual who identified as a woman, shot and killed two children during a Catholic prayer service.

Johannesson says the “left wing radicals” will blame the weapons used, but he said it was their ideology at fault.

“They don’t want to admit that their ideology is creating psychotic people filled with hate. Now this hate is manufactured. This hate is being told to people that they must have it because these people are these Christians and Catholics, these MAGA right-wing people, are out to get you, and they’re your oppressors,” he said in the video.

“All those kids who have mental health issues and don’t fit into society are being encouraged to be trans because trans is given as the answer to all their problems,” he said.

He added that it was a “cult” that was recruiting the most vulnerable in society.

“I have love for my fellow people. I do not have love for this ideology that is taking advantage of vulnerable children and causing immense harm.”

The Epoch Times attempted to contact the school principal and the superintendent but did not hear back by publication time.

Johannesson said in an Aug. 30 post that it was “heartbreaking” that “if you have a different opinion on an issue, people try to ruin you.”

Alberta Gender Issues

Alberta is the only province to introduce a ban on medical gender transitions for minors.

The provincial government introduced the legislation to do so in October 2024, and it was passed in December. It was one of three laws introduced that deals with gender issues in the province, including gender transition procedures for youth, regulations for transgender athletes in female sports, and parental rights in schools.

The Health Statutes Amendment Act bans gender transition surgeries for those younger than 18 years. It also prohibits the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapies for children 15 years and younger.

A legal challenge was filed against the legislation in December 2024 by Egale Canada and the Skipping Stone Foundation, along with five Alberta families.

A temporary injunction against the legislation was granted by the Court of King’s Bench in June.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) along with three Alberta doctors have also filed a constitutional challenge against the legislation.

The CMA said it was seeking a judicial review of the legislation on the grounds that it infringes upon physicians’ Charter right to freedom of conscience.