Virginia Judge Rules School Board Action Unconstitutional

Tanner Cross and Tyson Langhofer on Fox News' ‘America Reports’

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Last week, we asked you to support Loudoun County Public School teacher Byron “Tanner” Cross after the school board placed him on leave for saying he would refuse to recognize and sanction transgenderism by using pronouns that don’t fit the biological make-up of students.

In a few short days, AFA’s petition supporting Cross has reached over 51,000 signatures.

The Leesburg Elementary teacher addressed the regular LCPS monthly school board meeting about the district’s pro-transgender policy. He told the board,

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.

 


Two days after telling the school board he would refuse to “lie to [students] regardless of the consequences,” the school announced Cross had been put on immediate leave from his duties as a physical education teacher.


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Cross immediately filed a lawsuit against the school board and the Virginia 20th Judicial Circuit Court ruled that Cross’ First Amendment rights were violated by the school.

The court said, 

Upholding constitutional rights serves the public interest. Affirming the unconstitutional action taken against [Cross] which has silenced others from speaking publicly on this issue, serves the public interest. The public’s knowledge that [Tanner’s] speech was permissible, is encouraged and is free from governmental oppression serves the public interest. Governmental bodies being held in check for violating a citizen’s constitutional rights, serves the public interest.

Read the ruling here.

This is great news, as the court has once again ruled a Christian’s right to express their view, although unpopular with liberal-led factions, is a protected right under the First Amendment.

We thought you’d like to join us in thanking God for this great victory.

Please continue to pray for Mr. Cross and the many other Christian teachers who face these types of adverse conditions in public schools all across our nation.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views the Virginia Christian Alliance

About the Author

Virginia Christian Alliance
The mission of the VIRGINIA CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE is to promote moral, social and scientific issues we face today from a Biblical point of view. In addition we will refute and oppose, not with hate, but with facts and humor, the secular cultural abuses that have overridden laws and standards of conduct of the past. We will encourage Christians to participate in these efforts through conferences, development of position papers, booklets and tracts, radio/TV spots, newspaper ads and articles and letters-to-the editor, web sites, newsletters and providing speakers for church and civic meetings.