A Virginia school district has announced plans to appeal after a judge ordered the reinstatement of a teacher suspended for opposing its trans-inclusive policies.
On Friday, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) said that it “respectfully disagrees” with a June 8 ruling that its decision to censure gym teacher Byron “Tanner” Cross was “unconstitutional.” Cross, who teaches at Leesburg Elementary School, was placed on indefinite leave after speaking out against guidelines instructing faculty to use the correct pronouns and names of trans students at a May 25 school board meeting.
“Many students and parents at Leesburg Elementary have expressed fear, hurt and disappointment about coming to school,” LCPS said in a press release, citing “significant disruption” that resulted from Cross’ speech.
In his controversial remarks, Cross said that addressing trans youth in alignment with their gender would “damage children and defile the holy image of God.”
“It’s not my intention to hurt anyone, but there are certain truths that we must face when ready,” he said at the meeting. “I love all of my students, but I will never lie to them, regardless of the consequences. I’m a teacher, but I serve God first, and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it’s against my religion, it’s lying to my child, it’s abuse to a child, and it’s sinning against our God.”
A conservative Christian, Cross also opposes district-wide policies that would allow trans student athletes to play on the school sports team that matches their sense of self.
LCPS reportedly suspended Cross after multiple parents from Leesburg Elementary approached administrators and asked that their students no longer have contact with him, according to the local NBC news affiliate WSLS. In its statement, the district said that “addressing those concerns is paramount to the school division’s goal to provide a safe, welcoming, and affirming learning environment for all students.”
“While LCPS respects the rights of public-school employees to free speech and free exercise of religion, those rights do not outweigh the rights of students to be educated in a supportive and nurturing environment,” the district said.
The district plans to appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court to override the lower court ruling. In his opinion, Loudoun County Circuit Judge James Plowman claimed the district violated Cross’ free speech rights. The judge held that because Cross was only attending a school board meeting, not acting in an official capacity as a faculty member, he was speaking as a “matter of public concern,” according to USA Today.
