For Immediate Release: September 2, 2021
Contact: Ryan Hite, Communications Director
Victory For Free Speech, Courageous Teacher
Washington, D.C.: This week, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in favor of an elementary school teacher who was suspended after criticizing the Loudon County Public School District’s newly proposed transgender policies.
“Lower courts had supported Tanner Cross, but the school district was bent on cancelling him,” said Ed Martin, president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles. “Thankfully Virginia’s highest court ended the debate, ruling that Cross’s free speech and free exercise of religion trumps school policy.”
Cross spoke publicly at a school board meeting that he would not play along with the radical woke guidelines passed by district officials on referring to students by their “preferred pronouns.” Cross said, “I love all of my students, but I would never lie to them regardless of the consequences. I will not affirm a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa… it’s lying to a child, it’s abuse to a child, and it’s sinning against our God.”
“The district threw a fit over Tanner Cross’s public statements and suspended him shortly after,” Martin concluded. “They’ve been fighting him in court ever since, insisting that his religious and speech rights are secondary to the ‘rights’ of students to be comfortable. It’s a display of wokeism and cancel culture at their worst. Thankfully, Virginia’s courts have some sense and ruled against Cross’s termination.
“We wish this young man Godspeed. Speaking truth in a cancel culture world requires great courage and faith. Take note, America! You are not alone when you speak the truth.”
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