WEST POINT, VA - Former West Point School District high school teacher, Peter Vlaming, who pressed a lawsuit against the board after he was terminated for refusing to use his students' preferred pronouns, won a settlement last week.
According to Fox News, the attorney representing Vlaming told reporters that the $575,000 settlement for the educator had "seismic implications."
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) President and CEO Kristen Waggoner told the outlet that the legal non-profit is "grateful that, because of this decision, tolerance is now a two‐way street, not a one‐way ratchet for totalitarian ideology." She added, "It protects all teachers in Virginia and its rationale should guide other courts addressing similar issues."
The ADF is reportedly representing other teachers who have faced similar scenarios in other states. Waggoner noted, "No teacher should be fired for living according to their beliefs or protecting their students."
She wrote in a post to X, "No teacher should be fired for living according to their beliefs. But that's exactly what happened to Peter Vlaming. So we sued. And won. This landmark victory protects all teachers in VA and should guide other courts addressing similar issues."
In a press release announcing the settlement, the ADF explained that in addition to the $575,000 cash settlement, the school board also cleared Peter Vlaming's termination from his employment record. Beyond the settlement itself, the board also altered its policies on pronouns in compliance with updated Virginia education policies put in place by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, said in a statement, "Peter wasn’t fired for something he said; he was fired for something he couldn’t say. The school board violated his First Amendment rights under the Virginia Constitution and commonwealth law.
“As a teacher, Peter was passionate about the subject he taught, was well-liked by his students, and did his best to accommodate their needs and requests. But he couldn’t in good conscience speak messages that he knew were untrue, and no school board or government official can punish someone for that reason. We’re pleased to favorably settle this case on behalf of Peter and hope other government and school officials will take note of the high cost involved in failing to respect an American’s constitutionally protected freedoms.”
Vlaming's case was initially tossed by a Judge in the King William Circuit Court who found that they didn't believe the devout Christian "had any valid reasons for the law to accept his suit."
The ruling was later overturned by the Virginia Commonwealth Supreme Court according to the Virginia Mercury, with Supreme Court Justice D. Arthur Kelsey writing that Vlaming alleged “constitutional, statutory, and breach-of-contract claims” on his employer. Further, it was found, “Examining only the allegations in Vlaming’s complaint, the circuit court dismissed Vlaming’s claims, finding that they failed to state legally viable causes of action. Disagreeing with the circuit court, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.”
Vlaming told Fox News, "I am so relieved that our fundamental rights of freedom of expression and freedom of religion were upheld. However, it still bewilders me that a legal battle was necessary to reiterate that thought police and compelled speech are antithetical to the foundations of Virginian and American society; not to mention western civilization. How did we arrive at such a point today in America?"
According to Fox News, the attorney representing Vlaming told reporters that the $575,000 settlement for the educator had "seismic implications."
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) President and CEO Kristen Waggoner told the outlet that the legal non-profit is "grateful that, because of this decision, tolerance is now a two‐way street, not a one‐way ratchet for totalitarian ideology." She added, "It protects all teachers in Virginia and its rationale should guide other courts addressing similar issues."
The ADF is reportedly representing other teachers who have faced similar scenarios in other states. Waggoner noted, "No teacher should be fired for living according to their beliefs or protecting their students."
She wrote in a post to X, "No teacher should be fired for living according to their beliefs. But that's exactly what happened to Peter Vlaming. So we sued. And won. This landmark victory protects all teachers in VA and should guide other courts addressing similar issues."
No teacher should be fired for living according to their beliefs. But that's exactly what happened to Peter Vlaming. So we sued. And won.
— Kristen Waggoner (@KWaggonerADF) October 7, 2024
This landmark victory protects all teachers in VA and should guide other courts addressing similar issues. https://t.co/vg8aeArjrO
In a press release announcing the settlement, the ADF explained that in addition to the $575,000 cash settlement, the school board also cleared Peter Vlaming's termination from his employment record. Beyond the settlement itself, the board also altered its policies on pronouns in compliance with updated Virginia education policies put in place by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, said in a statement, "Peter wasn’t fired for something he said; he was fired for something he couldn’t say. The school board violated his First Amendment rights under the Virginia Constitution and commonwealth law.
“As a teacher, Peter was passionate about the subject he taught, was well-liked by his students, and did his best to accommodate their needs and requests. But he couldn’t in good conscience speak messages that he knew were untrue, and no school board or government official can punish someone for that reason. We’re pleased to favorably settle this case on behalf of Peter and hope other government and school officials will take note of the high cost involved in failing to respect an American’s constitutionally protected freedoms.”
Vlaming's case was initially tossed by a Judge in the King William Circuit Court who found that they didn't believe the devout Christian "had any valid reasons for the law to accept his suit."
The ruling was later overturned by the Virginia Commonwealth Supreme Court according to the Virginia Mercury, with Supreme Court Justice D. Arthur Kelsey writing that Vlaming alleged “constitutional, statutory, and breach-of-contract claims” on his employer. Further, it was found, “Examining only the allegations in Vlaming’s complaint, the circuit court dismissed Vlaming’s claims, finding that they failed to state legally viable causes of action. Disagreeing with the circuit court, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.”
Vlaming told Fox News, "I am so relieved that our fundamental rights of freedom of expression and freedom of religion were upheld. However, it still bewilders me that a legal battle was necessary to reiterate that thought police and compelled speech are antithetical to the foundations of Virginian and American society; not to mention western civilization. How did we arrive at such a point today in America?"
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Comments
2024-10-10T21:11-0400 | Comment by: Michael
I only had a couple of times when I had a student where this might apply. And I had already decided that while I could call them by whatever name they wanted, I could not and would not use improper pronouns, just what agreed with biology. Otherwise, I'd be lying, contributing to their confusion, and violating what I know is right as per my Christian faith. So, it is a speech and faith (1st Amendment) issue for me. Fortunately, it never became an issue for me.
2024-10-11T10:09-0400 | Comment by: Lauren
We commend you for your courage "Under Fire" and staying with your God given beliefs and protecting these students form this evil ! God bless you!! L. Dowsett