A Loudoun County, Virginia, gym teacher was placed on leave days after he spoke out against a proposed school policy that says educators should refer to students by the pronouns that align with their gender identity.
Byron “Tanner” Cross, a physical education specialist at Leesburg Elementary School, said at a May 25 school board meeting that following the proposed policy would go against his religious beliefs.
“I love all of my students but I will never lie to them regardless of the consequences,” he said, according to a recording of the meeting. “I’m a teacher but I serve God first and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it’s against my religion, it’s lying to my child, it’s abuse to a child and it’s sinning against our God.”
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