A Virginia school board agreed to pay a former high school teacher $575,000 in damages and attorney's fees after he refused to call a transgender student by their preferred pronouns. The settlement has significant implications for free speech and religious freedom in schools across the country.
The Virginia-based West Point School Board has been ordered to pay a former high school teacher $575,000 in damages and attorney's fees after he refused to call a transgender student by their preferred pronouns. The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on behalf of Peter Vlaming, who taught French at West Point High School for seven years.
Vlaming, a devout Christian, said he could not comply with the school district's policy to refer to students with pronouns inconsistent with their biological sex. According to the ADF, Vlaming tried to accommodate the student by consistently using the student's new preferred name and by avoiding the use of pronouns altogether.
Virginia School District Pays Teacher $575,000 in Landmark Pronoun Case
However, school officials insisted that Vlaming use the student's preferred pronouns even when the student was not present. Vlaming lost his job in 2019 after the board voted 5-0 to fire him.
ADF President and CEO Kristen Waggoner said the settlement has "seismic implications" for free speech and religious freedom in schools.
Virginia School District Pays Teacher $575,000 in Landmark Pronoun Case
"We're grateful that, because of this decision, tolerance is now a two-way street, not a one-way ratchet for totalitarian ideology," Waggoner told Fox News Digital.
Several months before Vlaming's court victory, the Virginia Supreme Court reinstated the case after it was struck down in a lower court. The state's highest court ruled that the school board had violated Vlaming's rights.
Virginia School District Pays Teacher $575,000 in Landmark Pronoun Case
In addition to the cash settlement, Vlaming's record has been cleared and the West Point School Board has agreed to respect free speech rights. Vlaming is allowed to go back to teaching and his former colleagues can do their jobs without fear of retaliation for their beliefs.
Peter Vlaming said he is relieved that his fundamental rights have been upheld. However, he expressed concern about the state of free speech and religious freedom in America today.
Virginia School District Pays Teacher $575,000 in Landmark Pronoun Case
"It still bewilders me that a legal battle was necessary to reiterate that thought police and compelled speech are antithetical to the foundations of Virginian and American society; not to mention western civilization," Vlaming told Fox News Digital.
ADF represents several other teachers facing similar situations in other states. Waggoner said no teacher should be fired for living according to their beliefs or protecting their students.
The settlement serves as a reminder that schools must respect the free speech and religious freedom rights of teachers and students alike.
