In a split decision on Thursday, the Virginia Supreme Court restored a free-speech lawsuit brought forth by a former high school teacher, Peter Vlaming, against the West Point School Board. Vlaming alleges that the school board wrongfully dismissed him after he declined to refer to a transgender boy using he/him pronouns, basing his refusal on his religious convictions. The majority opinion penned by Judge D. Arthur Kelsey found that the King William County Circuit Court had erred when determining Vlaming had not put forth legally robust claims relating to his rights to freedom of speech and religion, as well as his contract with the school. Here is a link to the entire decision.
Vlaming’s counsel, Chris Schandevel, spoke out in a statement following Thursday’s decision, asserting that the West Point School Board had violated constitutional mandates by endeavouring to compel Vlaming to adopt the school’s ideological standpoint on gender identity. Schandevel applauded the Virginia Supreme Court for rightly asserting Vlaming’s prerogative to adhere to his convictions.
Last Thursday’s decision serves as a crucial turning point in discussions surrounding free speech, religious rights, and school district’s protocols on handling gender identities.