WEST POINT, Va. — In a case that underscores the ongoing debates about gender identity in educational settings, a former Virginia high school teacher has settled for $575,000 with the local school board after being terminated for not using a transgender student’s pronouns, according to the advocacy group involved.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal organization, announced the settlement on Monday, which also includes the removal of Peter Vlaming’s dismissal from his employment record. Vlaming, who taught French at West Point High School, was fired in 2018 after he refused to use male pronouns for a transgender student. Initially, a judge dismissed the lawsuit without reviewing any evidence, but the state Supreme Court reinstated it in December.
Superintendent Larry Frazier from West Point Public Schools confirmed the settlement, stating in an email, “We are pleased to be able to reach a resolution that will not have a negative impact on the students, staff or school community of West Point.”
In his lawsuit, Vlaming claimed he attempted to support the transgender student by using their name instead of pronouns. However, both the student and their family insisted that he was obligated to use the male pronouns. Vlaming argued that doing so would contradict his “sincerely held religious and philosophical” beliefs, which maintain that “each person’s sex is biologically fixed and cannot be changed.” He asserted that using the student’s pronouns would be dishonest.
Vlaming argued that the school infringed on his constitutional rights to free speech and religious practice, while the school board contended that he violated its anti-discrimination policy.
The state Supreme Court’s justices ruled that two of Vlaming’s claims could move forward: his assertion that his right to religious expression was violated under the Virginia Constitution, and a breach of contract claim against the school board. However, three justices expressed dissent, arguing that the majority’s interpretation of religious exercise was too broad, potentially allowing individuals to bypass various policies by citing religious beliefs.
“I was wrongfully fired from my teaching job because my religious beliefs put me on a collision course with school administrators who mandated that teachers ascribe to only one perspective on gender identity — their preferred view,” Vlaming stated in an ADF news release. “I loved teaching French and gracefully tried to accommodate every student in my class, but I couldn’t say something that directly violated my conscience.”
This legal dispute occurs against the backdrop of new policies implemented by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin regarding transgender students. These policies rolled back several accommodations that had been established by the previous Democratic administration, including the rights for teachers and students to refer to transgender individuals by their chosen names and pronouns.
Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares indicated in a non-binding legal analysis that the new policies align with federal and state nondiscrimination laws, asserting that school boards must comply with these guidelines. Meanwhile, several lawsuits filed earlier this year are challenging these policies, seeking to clarify whether school districts are obligated to follow them.