Virginia Supreme Court allows lawsuit by teacher fired for Christian beliefs about sex to proceed
The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously voted Thursday to revive a lawsuit filed by a teacher who was terminated for declining to use male pronouns to refer to a female student.
In 2018, Peter Vlaming was fired from his job of seven years as a French teacher at West Point High School because he would not address a student by biologically inaccurate pronouns. Vlaming “told his superiors his Christian faith prevented him from using male pronouns” for the student. The student complained, leading to a four-hour hearing with the school board, which ultimately voted 5-0 to fire Vlaming for “discrimination.”
“That discrimination then leads to creating a hostile learning environment,” claimed West Point Schools Superintendent Laura Abel. “And the student had expressed that. The parent had expressed that. They felt disrespected.”
Vlaming sued the school board in 2019. After a circuit court judge dismissed the suit in 2021, the seven justices on the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that Vlaming’s case alleging that his rights to free religious exercise and free speech were violated deserves to move forward.
“Peter wasn’t fired for something he said; he was fired for something he couldn’t say,” said Chris Schandevel, a senior defense counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), who represents Vlaming. “The Virginia Supreme Court rightly agreed that Peter’s case against the school board for violating his rights under the Virginia Constitution and state law should proceed.”
In December last year, another teacher represented by ADF filed a lawsuit challenging her termination for refusing to refer to a student by inaccurate pronouns. Ohio middle school teacher Vivian Geraghty was fired over her religious objections to addressing two students by names and pronouns contradictory to their biology.
“Schools can’t force teachers to set their religious beliefs aside just to keep a job and they also can’t force teachers to say things that are untrue and harmful to students,” ADF legal counsel Logan Spena told the Daily Caller.
In California, a Christian teacher was let go for her refusal to conceal students’ attempts to dress and act as the opposite sex from parents. Jessica Tapia was a physical education teacher who would not permit male students to use women’s locker rooms and objected to district policy mandating that teachers hide students’ gender confusion from parents.
“[The district] called me back to work but presented me with various directives, to which I responded I would not be able to comply with some of them based on my beliefs, such as having to call students by their preferred gender/pronoun and withhold that information from their parents,” Tapia told the Daily Caller. “I believe God is love and the most loving thing we can do is affirm one another in who God made us to be.”
Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here.
What was the justification given by the Virginia Supreme Court for reviving the teacher’s lawsuit over pronoun usage?
Virginia Supreme Court Rules Teacher’s Lawsuit Over Pronoun Usage Can Move Forward
The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously voted on Thursday to revive a lawsuit filed by a teacher who was terminated for declining to use male pronouns to refer to a female student. Peter Vlaming, a French teacher at West Point High School, was fired in 2018 after refusing to address a student by biologically inaccurate pronouns. Vlaming cited his Christian faith as the reason for his objection and argued that using incorrect pronouns goes against his religious beliefs.
The incident sparked a four-hour hearing with the school board, which ultimately voted 5-0 to terminate Vlaming for “discrimination.” West Point Schools Superintendent Laura Abel claimed that Vlaming’s refusal to use the requested pronouns created a hostile learning environment and made the student and their parent feel disrespected.
Vlaming took legal action against the school board in 2019. However, the suit was dismissed by a circuit court judge in 2021. Now, the Virginia Supreme Court has stepped in, ruling that Vlaming’s case alleging violations of his rights to free religious exercise and free speech should be allowed to proceed.
Chris Schandevel, a senior defense counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represents Vlaming, emphasized the importance of the court’s decision. Schandevel pointed out that Vlaming was not fired for something he said, but rather for something he could not say due to his religious beliefs. He praised the Virginia Supreme Court for recognizing that Vlaming’s rights under the Virginia Constitution and state law were potentially violated.
This case comes just months after another teacher, represented by the ADF, filed a similar lawsuit in Ohio. Vivian Geraghty, a middle school teacher, was terminated for objecting to using inaccurate pronouns when referring to two students. Geraghty argued that schools cannot force teachers to set aside their religious beliefs or make untrue and harmful statements about students.
These cases highlight an ongoing debate surrounding the accommodation of religious beliefs in educational settings. The clash between the rights of teachers to express their religious convictions and the rights of students to be addressed according to their preferred pronouns has become a contentious issue nationwide.
In California, a Christian teacher was also fired for her refusal to comply with pronoun usage policies. These cases raise important questions about the balance between freedom of speech, religious freedom, and the rights of individuals to be recognized and respected in accordance with their gender identity.
As these lawsuits move forward, the decisions reached could have far-reaching implications for educators, students, and the broader issue of religious freedom in schools across the United States. The legal battles will undoubtedly continue as individuals and institutions grapple with finding a resolution that respects the rights and beliefs of all parties involved.
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