West Point Public Schools
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Updated – October 8, 2024
West Point Public Schools (WPPS) was ordered to pay over half a million dollars to settle a lawsuit involving former high school teacher Peter Vlaming. Vlaming was terminated in December 2018 for failing to acknowledge a student’s “preferred pronouns.”
On October 2, 2024, CBS News reported, “[WPPS] has agreed to pay $575,000 in a settlement to [Vlaming] who was fired after he refused to use a ‘transgender’ student’s pronouns…Alliance Defending Freedom [ADF] announced the settlement Monday.”
Vlaming, who sued WPPS in 2019 for infringing on his First Amendment rights, claimed he never disrespected the student but chose to use the girl’s name instead of he/him pronouns. His dismissal from the district was a result of him defying the district’s so-called anti-discrimination policy, which includes “sexual orientation, gender, [and] gender identity” as protected statuses.
Vlaming wasn’t targeted for what he said but for remaining silent on the student’s “gender transition.” When Vlaming persisted with only using the girl’s name, one source said WPPS officials “ordered him to stop avoiding the use of pronouns.”
When the school board voted unanimously to fire Vlaming after six years of service, he reportedly stated:
“My religious faith dictates that I am to love or respect everyone, whether I agree with them or not. Because we’re all made in God’s image. I am also aware of, and agree with speech limits that are placed on public school teachers, concerning matters of religious faith…However, we are here today because a specific worldview is being imposed upon me.”
According to the ADF press release, “[WPPS] cleared [Vlaming’s] firing from his record, and separate from the settlement agreement, changed its policies to conform to the New Virginia education policies established by Gov. Glenn Youngkin that respect fundamental free speech and parental rights.”
The School Board Watchlist will continue monitoring issues in West Point Public Schools. Please send tips and updates to [email protected].
Published – June 9, 2022
In December 2018, the West Point School Board voted unanimously to fire Peter Vlaming. Vlaming had been a French teacher in the district for almost 6 years and was fired for refusing to use male pronouns when referring to a student who was transitioning to male.
After learning that the student was transitioning at the beginning of the school year, Vlaming had tried to accommodate them by using the student’s new chosen name instead of their given name and avoiding the use of personal pronouns altogether. School officials required Vlaming to start using the student’s chosen pronouns and asked him to stop avoiding the use of pronouns. When Vlaming said he couldn’t in good conscience comply with the superintendent’s order, he was fired.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal advocacy group, brought a lawsuit against the School Board on behalf of Vlaming. In March 2022, the Virginia Supreme Court agreed to hear Vlaming’s case after it was dismissed by the Circuit Court for the County of King William.
ADF Senior Counsel Chris Schandevel stated:
“Peter wasn’t fired for something he said; he was fired for something he couldn’t say. As a teacher, Peter was passionate about the subject he taught, he was well-liked by his students, and he did his best to accommodate their needs and requests. But Peter could not in good conscience speak messages that he doesn’t believe to be true.”
In May 2022, ADF announced that the Virginia attorney general, physicians, feminists, legal scholars, and a variety of organizations all filed briefs with the Virginia Supreme Court in support of Vlaming’s case. Schandevel stated:
“We and the many parties who have filed briefs in support of Peter hope the Virginia Supreme Court will agree the School Board violated Peter’s rights under the Virginia Constitution and state law.”
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West Point Public Schools have an enrollment of 760 students between 2 schools.
