Virginia school appealing reinstatement of teacher suspended over gender pronoun policy

A Virginia school district on Thursday said it is appealing a judge’s decision to reinstate a gym teacher who said he would not abide by the district’s new policy that would require teachers to use a student’s preferred pronouns.

A spokesperson for Loudoun County Public Schools said the district would appeal Circuit Court Judge Jim Plowman Jr.’s decision to the Virginia Supreme Court, according to NBC News. Plowman issued an injunction in June that reinstated Leesburg Elementary physical education teacher Tanner Cross.

Cross was suspended from his position after saying he would not abide by the district’s rules during a school board meeting in May. The teacher said that he would not “affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa,” citing his religious beliefs as to why he would not follow the district’s policy.

He also claimed that calling a transgender or gender non-conforming child their preferred pronouns amounted to “abuse,” according to NBC. 

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a nonprofit conservative organization representing Cross, said “there is no reason” for Virginia’s Supreme Court to hear the appeal, NBC reported.

“Public schools have no right to suspend someone simply for respectfully providing their opinion at a public meeting,” ADF attorney Tyson Langhofer said in a statement.

“The school district wants to force Tanner to endorse its ideals and shut down any opposing views. That violates the Constitution and laws of Virginia, and so did the school’s move to place Tanner on leave.”

News of the appeal Thursday comes amid several fights levied in Republican-led state legislatures over transgender youth’s participation in sports and medical treatment. 

Several legislatures have either proposed or passed laws that would prohibit transgender students from participating on a team that corresponds with their gender identity. Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law that would prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports.