Va. school board to pay $575K to fired teacher who refused to use transgender student’s pronouns

By: Nathaniel Cline - September 30, 2024 3:57 pm

The West Point School Board agreed to pay Peter Vlaming, a former high school French teacher, $575,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees after he declined to refer to a transgender student by his requested pronouns.

The agreement came several months after the Virginia Supreme Court reinstated Vlaming’s case, which the King William Circuit Court dismissed. The lower court did not believe Vlaming had any valid reasons for the law to accept his suit. ... However, the Supreme Court determined in December that the school board violated Vlaming’s rights.

Vlaming’s lawsuit alleged “constitutional, statutory, and breach-of-contract claims” against the school district, Justice D. Arthur Kelsey wrote in an opinion explaining the high court’s ruling. ... “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.”

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal organization focused on protecting religious freedoms, represented Vlaming in the case and announced the settlement Monday.

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Nathaniel Cline
Nathaniel is an award-winning journalist who's been covering news across the country since 2007, including politics at The Loudoun Times-Mirror and The Northern Neck News in Virginia as well as sports for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. He has also hosted podcasts, worked as a television analyst for Spectrum Sports, and appeared as a panelist for conferences and educational programs. A graduate of Bowie State University, Nathaniel grew up in Hawaii and the United Kingdom as a military brat. Five things he must have before leaving home: his cellphone, Black Panther water bottle, hand sanitizer, wedding ring and Philadelphia Eagles keychain.

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