A school in Vermont has received over half a million dollars in compensation for refusing to compromise its biblical belief in biological reality.
The settlement came after Mid Vermont Christian School was wrongly banned from state-sponsored sporting events for holding to the truth that men cannot become women.
In 2023, the school was banned from competitions after its female team refused to play an opposing basketball team with a male who identified as female.
Fair and safe
Senior Counsel David Cortman, from the school’s legal representative Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), said: “The government cannot punish religious schools—and the families they serve—by permanently kicking them out of state-sponsored sports simply because the state disagrees with their religious beliefs”.
The basketball team’s coach, Chris Goodwin, commented: “I never thought I would be in court for simply adhering to my Christian and commonsense belief that boys and girls are different”.
He added: “As a coach, I always want my team to play in fair and safe competitions. As a dad, I want my daughter to know that she should always stand up for her beliefs and should never be punished for that decision.”
Religious liberty
In April, a Christian counsellor was awarded $195,000 after she was sacked for speaking about her school’s transgender policy.
Kathy McCord objected to a new directive requiring teachers and staff to use a child’s transgender name and pronouns without first consulting parents. When the counsellor confirmed details of the policy to a local journalist, she was dismissed.
But a few weeks ago, South Madison Community School Corporation in the US state of Indiana reached a pre-hearing settlement with McCord for damages, legal fees and costs.
McCord — supported by ADF — launched legal action against her former employer in 2023, arguing that its transgender policy violated her “sincerely held religious beliefs and her understanding of how best to care for students”.
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