A Texas professor who is also a pastor was sacked after telling his students that X and Y chromosomes determine human sex.

After 20 years of service as a professor at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Dr. Johnson Varkey was sacked from his position there in January of this year.

Four students left his class last November in protest of his assertion that X and Y chromosomes determine human sex, leading to his dismissal.

During an interview, Varkey denied claims he injected religious teachings into his lessons – which students complained about.

Varkey said: ‘I don’t bring my preaching into my classroom when I teach about human anatomy and physiology. I just teach basic biology. That’s all I teach.’

The former professor continued: ‘X and X, those two chromosomes, make a person female and X and Y, male. That’s all I mentioned in the classroom. 

‘That’s just a mere biological fact.’

Varkey had been notified of a complaint being made against him by Vice President for Academic Success at the college Randall Dawson. 

Dawson said in an email: ‘I am sending you notification that Alamo Colleges District Human Resources department is in receipt of an ethics violation complaint.’

Varkey responded, saying: ‘What was the complaint? I am not aware of any violations that I committed.’

He was then informed that any further communication would come via the HR department at the college.

Two weeks later, he was issued a memorandum from Dawson who notified him he was fired.