Judge orders reinstatement of Virginia teacher who opposed transgender rules

A Virginia judge has granted a temporary injunction reinstating a gym teacher who was suspended for refusing to abide by a school district’s new rule that requires teachers use a student’s preferred pronouns.

Leesburg Elementary teacher Tanner Cross was suspended in May after protesting the Loudoun County Public Schools new policy that allowed transgender students to use different pronouns.

The Loudoun Times-Mirror reports that Circuit Court Judge Jim Plowman Jr. issued a decision in an opinion handed down on Tuesday reinstating Cross. Plowman issued the decision after a three-hour hearing on Friday.

“The court finds that the plaintiff’s speech and religious continent are central to the determination made by the defendants to suspend plaintiff’s employment,” Plowman wrote in his opinion.

The injunction will remain in effect until Dec. 31.

A Leesburg church community prays for P.E. teacher Tanner Cross who was placed on administrative leave after speaking out against a transgender school policy. A judge will decide by Monday if Cross can return to work as a lawsuit against the district moves forward. @7NewsDC pic.twitter.com/UpE5QRvulB

— Carl Willis (@CarlWillisTV) June 5, 2021

Cross had previously stated during a school board meeting that he would not abide by the district’s new rule, citing his religious faith as the reason.

“I love all of my students, but I will never lie to them regardless of consequences,” Cross said during the meeting, the Times-Mirror reported.

The Christian conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom is providing legal aid to Cross.