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Montgomery County Public Schools is just the latest Virginia school district to have to relearn the lesson that the First Amendment is not subordinate to radical gender ideology.
Liberty Counsel announced earlier this week that its client Lindsay Rich has been reinstated after Montgomery County School Board officials removed her from the Virginia school district’s list of approved substitutes and escorted her out of the building on her first day.
The issue began last August when Rich, who had narrowly lost a race for the Montgomery County School Board the year before, applied to be a substitute teacher. She passed the required background check, was interviewed, and then hired. She attended training on September 11 and three days later received her first assignment, which was supposed to be on September 17.
That morning she reported to the school. Two hours later, she was escorted out of the building by the human resources director of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).
At the scheduled school board meeting that night, Rich discovered that the board had approved a list of substitute teachers that no longer included her name. Her name was the only one to be removed.
Rich stated, “I believe the school board members removed me for the same reason many attacked me during my campaign.”
Rich, a mother of five, three of whom are enrolled with MCPS in Christiansburg, campaigned on policies aligned with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s stance on transgender student policies. These policies emphasize parental involvement in gender identity decisions and require that bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams be based on biological sex. During her campaign, Rich faced criticism from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advocates at Virginia Tech who opposed her stance.
Rich and her supporters claim the board altered the list behind closed doors without explanation. Frustrated, she attended multiple school board meetings seeking answers. “I won’t be pushed out of my children’s schools,” she said at the time. “They say there is room for ALL in MCPS, which includes conservative Christians like me.”
Emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by Rich’s husband indicate that Superintendent Bernard Bragen took a personal interest in Rich’s application, according to the Daily Signal. Two days before the board meeting, Bragen inquired whether the applicant was the same Lindsay Rich who had run for the school board. Upon confirmation, he responded, “Let’s review it tomorrow. That is presenting a problem that we may need the attorney to discuss.”
Liberty Counsel then sent a demand letter to MCPS, claiming, among other things, that the day before Rich was slated to begin her first day, the board member who ran against Rich had sent a message to citizens of Montgomery County asking for pictures of a social media comment made by Rich.
Liberty Counsel stated in its letter that it believed MCPS had taken unconstitutional retaliatory actions against Rich because of her stated religious and political beliefs.
Shortly after receiving the letter, MCPS made the decision to reinstate Rich.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver reacted to the school’s capitulation by stating,
“The First Amendment guarantees a teacher’s right to speak according to his or her religious beliefs and political values. The school district corrected a potentially costly mistake. Teachers have a right to express their conscience and religious beliefs in their private capacity without fear of retribution from their employer.”
This is only the latest case in which Christian teachers have lost their jobs because of their Christian beliefs and schools have been forced to backtrack.
Last year, the West Point School Board settled with former French teacher Peter Vlaming, agreeing to pay him $575,000 in attorneys’ fees and damages while clearing his record after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in his favor. Vlaming was fired in 2018 for refusing to use a transgender student’s preferred pronouns, citing religious beliefs. Instead, he opted to use the student’s chosen French name but accidentally used a female pronoun, leading to complaints and his dismissal.
As a result of Vlaming’s suit and settlement, the board has since revised its policies to align with Virginia Department of Education guidelines, which require schools to use pronouns matching a student’s biological sex unless otherwise directed by a parent.
Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) also agreed to accommodate teachers who oppose using students’ preferred pronouns following a lawsuit by teachers Deborah Figliola, Kristine Marsh, and Laura Nelson. HCPS had previously required teachers to use preferred names and pronouns while withholding a student’s gender identity from parents if they were unaware. The legal challenged argued that the new policies violated teachers’ rights to religious freedom and free speech, as well as parents’ rights to oversee their children’s upbringing.
The settlement now ensures accommodations for teachers, including the plaintiffs, allowing them to refrain from using preferred names or pronouns.
Religious freedom is a fundamental right in American society, allowing individuals to live according to their faith without fear of discrimination. This right is essential for teachers in public schools, who should not be forced to suppress their deeply held religious convictions to maintain employment. Instead, they should receive reasonable accommodations to serve students while adhering to their faith.
The Supreme Court most recently affirmed this right in Kennedy v. Bremerton, and the Virginia Supreme Court has upheld this right not only in the Peter Vlaming case but also that of Tanner Cross, a Loudoun County teacher who was suspended for telling a school board that he would not betray his Christian beliefs by lying to a child confused about their biological sex.
Public schools should foster an environment that embraces religious freedom. No teacher should be compelled to endorse ideologies that contradict their beliefs. When policies force individuals to speak or act against their conscience, it violates both religious freedom and free speech.
The Bible encourages believers to stand firm in their convictions, even under societal pressure. Just as Daniel continued praying despite government restrictions (Daniel 6:4-13), and Peter and John refused to stop preaching (Acts 4:18-20), Christian educators should be able to respectfully express their faith without fear of punishment.
Ensuring religious freedom in schools does not promote one faith over another but instead allows all teachers to work in alignment with their beliefs. Protecting this right strengthens both personal and religious liberty. Schools should create an atmosphere where teachers and students with differing beliefs can coexist without coercion. Ultimately, upholding religious freedom in education affirms the core values of faith and democracy.
Photo: Christian substitute teacher Lindsay Rich (right) Credits: Shutterstock/Facebook
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