On Friday, the case had a lengthy hearing in the court where the defendants asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit; Cross’ team asked the court to issue a temporary injunction to allow him to return to work while the case proceeds.
Cross was represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), who argued that he was retaliating against after exercising his rights to free speech. The LCPS defense argued that Cross’ speech at the meeting was disruptive, citing six emails from five families asking that Cross not teach their students. In the decision, Judge James Plowman said the magnitude of parental complaints was minimal given an approximate Leesburg Elementary School size of 400-500 students. Plowman also said that Cross’ lawsuit is likely to succeed based on arguments that his suspension was retaliatory and violated Cross’ First Amendment rights….
(Excerpts from the Virginia Star)
