Court halts Loudoun County Public Schools’ retaliation against teacher

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom President and CEO Michael Farris regarding the Loudoun County Circuit Court’s decision Tuesday in Cross v. Loudoun County School Board to halt Loudoun County Schools’ retaliation against Leesburg Elementary School teacher Tanner Cross for speaking against two proposed policies during the public comment period of a school board meeting:

“Nobody should be punished for expressing concern about a proposed government policy, especially when the government invites comment on that policy. For that reason, we are pleased at the court’s decision to halt Loudoun County Public Schools’ retaliation against Tanner Cross while his lawsuit continues. Educators are just like everybody else—they have ideas and opinions that they should be free to express. Advocating for solutions they believe in should not cost them their jobs. School officials singled out his speech, offered in his private capacity at a public meeting, as ‘disruptive’ and then suspended him for speaking his mind. That’s neither legal nor constitutional. Dozens of other teachers have shared their beliefs on various policies without retaliation; Tanner deserves to be treated with the same respect.”

The ADF Center for Academic Freedom is dedicated to ensuring freedom of speech and association for students and faculty so that everyone can freely participate in the marketplace of ideas without fear of government censorship.

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