A Virginia middle school PE teacher who was forced out over his very public refusal to use his students’ preferred pronouns has been reinstated following orders from a judge.
Byron “Tanner” Cross, a physical education teacher at Leesburg Elementary School in Leesburg, Virginia, is being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in his lawsuit against the school district, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS).
Earlier this year, Cross was suspended after sharing his personal objections to the school’s policy on preferred pronouns, saying that it was a violation of his deeply-held Christian beliefs to do so.
The Daily Wire reports that Cross made national news after a speech to the school board in which he stated he would not adhere to any district policy that demanded faculty use students’ preferred pronouns or “allow gender-expansive and transgender students to participate in such activities in a manner consistent with the student’s gender identity.”
“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 a child, it’s abuse to a child, and it’s sinning against our God,” he also said during his impassioned comments.
Cross says he was suspended immediately after giving the speech, prompting him to seek help from the ADF, who announced this week that a judge had ordered his reinstatement.
“BREAKING: Tanner Cross, a Virginia elementary school teacher and ADF client who was suspended for raising concerns to the board about a proposed gender policy, has won a temporary injunction and the judge has ordered his reinstatement,” the law firm, which specializes in such cases, tweeted. “A massive victory for freedom of speech.”
BREAKING: Tanner Cross, a Virginia elementary school teacher and ADF client who was suspended for raising concerns to the board about a proposed gender policy, has won a temporary injunction and the judge has ordered his reinstatement.
A massive victory for freedom of speech.
— Alliance Defending Freedom (@AllianceDefends) June 8, 2021
The actions the school board is said to have taken against cross were characterized by the judge as “vindictive” according to local reporter Neal Augenstein of WTOP.
Judge James Plowman also found that the “school system’s suspension was unconstitutional,” Augenstein reported. While the school had claimed that Cross was suspended not for his beliefs, but because he had caused a “disruption,” the judge disagreed, saying that there was “simply an absence of evidence” that this was the case.
BREAKING: Loudoun County judge rules @LCPSOfficial must reinstate suspended teacher Byron Tanner Cross, who spoke against proposed gender pronoun policy at school board meeting. Judge calls school system's suspension unconstitutional and its handling of situation "vindictive."
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) June 8, 2021
School system said it suspended Cross NOT for what he said, but for the disruption it caused. 6 emails from parents were received. Judge Plowman: "There was simply an absence of evidence," and that "no actual disruption to school operations occurred."
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) June 8, 2021
According to Judge Plowman, @LCPSOfficial "took the added, and seemingly unnecessary step to advise Plaintiff that he was 'restricted from the buildings and grounds of all LCPS property,' making it impossible for him to take part in future public comment sessions.
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) June 8, 2021
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