The West Point School Board in Virginia reportedly decided to terminate one of their teachers on Thursday because he refused to use the pronouns that a transgender student identified with.
Peter Vlaming, who taught French at West Point High School, lost his job after the board made the unanimous 5-0 decision following a hearing, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
“As detailed during the course of the public hearing, Mr. Vlaming was recommended for termination due to his insubordination and repeated refusal to comply with directives made to him by multiple WPPS administrators,” West Point schools Superintendent Laura Abel said in a statement obtained by the outlet.
The situation reportedly came about after the 9th-grade student transitioned from a girl to a boy, following which the school was notified.
Vlaming was the student’s teacher during the previous school year, at the time of which they identified as a female, he told the outlet.
While Vlaming conceded to referring to the student by their male name, he refrained from addressing him by any identifying pronoun, the Times-Dispatch said. He reportedly cited his belief as a Christian as the reason why he wouldn’t use male pronouns for the student. – READ MORE