A Virginia school district that suspended a teacher for refusing to refer to transgender students by their preferred pronouns said Friday it will appeal a judge’s decision to reinstate him, according to a report.
Loudoun County Public Schools plans to take the legal battle to the state’s Supreme Court after federal judge James Plowman ruled that Leesburg Elementary School gym teacher Byron “Tanner” Cross can go back to work.
In a statement, the district said it “disagrees with the Circuit Court’s decision to issue the injunction, and is appealing this ruling to the Supreme Court of Virginia.”
“[The school] experienced – and continue to experience – significant disruption since the May 25 School Board meeting during which Cross addressed the board. Many students and parents at Leesburg Elementary have expressed fear, hurt and disappointment about coming to school,” the statement continues.
“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.”
