Virginia Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Teacher Who Rejects School’s Transgender Policies
by Penny Starr
The Virginia Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s reinstating a teacher in Loudoun County who refused to comply with the school district’s policy forcing all staff and students to use only pronouns for students’ chosen gender rather than their biological sex.
In May, physical education teacher Tanner Cross told the Loudoun County School Board his Christian faith prohibited him from misleading children by confirming the transgender ideology that claims children can chose their “gender identity” and reject their biological sex, including picking the pronouns they want to use.
After his testimony, the school board put Cross on leave, banned him from school property, and said he could no longer address the board.
The Associated Press (AP) reported on the Virginia Supreme Court ruling:
In June, Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge James E. Plowman ruled that the school district must reinstate Cross as the teacher’s lawsuit proceeds. Plowman called Loudoun’s punishment of Cross “unconstitutional” because it “silenced others from speaking publicly” on the issue of transgender rights. Loudoun appealed the decision to the state’s high court. The justices also signaled that they are broadly sympathetic to Cross’s suit.