Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys have announced a settlement bringing to a close the successful lawsuit by their client, Virginia resident Tanner Cross, who was suspended by the Loudoun County School Board after he spoke in opposition to a proposed gender identity policy at a May 25 board meeting.

Cross, a Christian who teaches physical education at Leesburg Elementary School, rose during the public comment portion of the May meeting and addressed proposed Policy 8040 which would have required all district employees to use the preferred pronouns of students, whether or not those corresponded to the students’ biological sex.

“It’s not my intention to hurt anyone, but there are certain truths that we must face when ready,” Cross told the board. “We condemn school policies [that] would damage children, defile the holy image of God.

“I love all of my students, but I will never lie to them regardless of the consequences. 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 a child, it’s abuse to a child, and it’s sinning against our God.”

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has suspended enforcement of its national vaccine mandate imposed on individuals working at companies with 100 people or more.

OSHA stated the following in a recent notice published on its website:

“On November 12, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to stay OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard, published on November 5, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 61402) (‘ETS’). The court ordered that OSHA ‘take no steps to implement or enforce’ the ETS ‘until further court order.’

“While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation.”

The 5th Circuit opinion, cited by OSHA as its reason for the mandate’s suspension, said the agency’s policy is “fatally flawed.”

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has signed a bill banning the teaching of critical race theory (CRT).

According to the text of the bill, HB 1508 prohibits “the teaching of critical race theory in public schools.” The brief, one-page bill defines CRT as “the theory that racism is not merely the product of learned individual bias or prejudice, but that racism is systemically embedded in American society and the American legal system to facilitate racial inequality.”

“Each school district and public school shall ensure instruction of its curriculum is factual, objective, and aligned to the kindergarten through grade twelve state content standards,” the bill states.

Schools “may not include instruction related to critical race theory in any portion of the district’s require curriculum.” The bill was approved by the North Dakota House of Representatives on November 11, in a 76-16 vote. The state Senate then passed the bill on November 12 in a vote of 38-9.