<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - Parents of trans children plan move due to laws"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The legal fight over a Virginia school district's suspension of a teacher who refused to address students by their preferred pronouns and names may be headed to the state Supreme Court.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Last month, <a target="_blank" href="/story/news/education/2021/06/08/teacher-against-gender-identity-policy-must-reinstated-judge-rules/7610529002/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">a circuit court judge ruled</a> that Tanner Cross must be allowed to return to his job at Loudon County Public Schools.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Cross, a physical education teacher at Leesburg Elementary School, was placed on administrative leave after saying at a school board meeting that it was against his religion to address a student by a gender not assigned to them at birth.<strong> </strong></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The district<a target="_blank" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/512906561/Loudoun-County-School-Board-Petition-for-Review#from_embed" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a"> appealed that decision</a> saying Cross "demonstrated his unwillingness to comply with existing and proposed policies." <a target="_blank" href="https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/LCPS-to-Appeal-Cross-Decision.docx.pdf" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">It also said </a>the school system had experienced "significant disruption" since Cross' comments, and five parents have contacted the principal requesting their children have no interaction with Cross.</p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Cross made the comments at a board meeting May 25 in response to the district's "Rights of Transgender and Gender-Expansive Students." The state is requiring all school systems to update their policies on transgender students,<strong/>part of which includes a requirement that students be allowed to use their preferred pronouns and name. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>Shouting matches, arrests and fed up parents:</strong><a target="_blank" href="/story/news/education/2021/07/03/critical-race-theory-makes-school-board-meetings-political-ground-zero/7785802002/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a"> How school board meetings became ground zero in politics</a></p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Members of the public also fought with the school board over the policy at a tense <a target="_blank" href="https://vimeo.com/566103405" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">June 23 meeting</a> that ended with at least <a target="_blank" href="https://dcist.com/story/21/06/23/loudoun-county-school-board-transgender-students-hearing-arrest/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">one arrest and the declaration of an unlawful...</a></p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2021/07/12/virginia-school-district-appeals-judge-decision-reinstate-teacher-tanner-cross/7935546002/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
