A Loudoun County, Va., public school physical-education teacher who says he will refuse to use transgender students’ preferred pronouns will be able to keep his job as his legal case proceeds, due to a ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court.

The instructor, Tanner Cross, has been placed on leave after he appeared at a meeting of the Loudoun County School Board in May and said his religious beliefs preclude him from using the pronouns transgender students prefer.

Backed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian nationalist legal group, Tanner sued. Upholding a lower-court ruling, the Virginia high court said the school system must reinstate Tanner as his case goes forward, asserting that he had the right to express himself during a public meeting.

“Cross was opposing a policy that might burden his freedoms of expression and religion by requiring him to speak and interact with students in a way that affirms gender transition,” the court wrote. (Loudoun County School Board v. Cross)

BREAKING NEWS

Americans United & the National Women’s Law Center file suit to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans.

Abortion bans violate the separation of church and state. Americans United and the National Women’s Law Center—the leading experts in religious freedom and gender justice—have joined forces with thirteen clergy from six faith traditions to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans as unconstitutionally imposing one narrow religious doctrine on everyone.


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