In a resounding victory for freedom of speech, a Vermont family has secured a $125,000 settlement from a local school district following a controversy surrounding a transgender student using the girls’ locker room.
Travis Allen and his daughter Blake faced disciplinary action for objecting to a biologically male student using the girls’ locker room at Randolph Union High School. The family’s stand for the rights of their daughter and other girls led to a suspension for Blake and a loss of coaching position for Travis. In a landmark decision, the school district will now pay the Allens and their attorneys $125,000 and clear their records of the disciplinary actions.
Travis Allen, reinstated as the middle school soccer coach as part of the settlement, reflected on the victory. He said, “This settlement was a huge victory for freedom of speech, not just for Blake and me, but for anyone who wants to voice their opinion on important topics.”
Great and balanced piece. The rights of trans-identifying students cannot be placed higher than the rights of others. https://t.co/tgo68w6OIA
— CFarquhar (@Farq125) June 3, 2023
The dispute began when a biological male student identifying as transgender entered the girls’ locker room. Blake and several other girls were in various stages of undress, leading to a significant degree of discomfort and a feeling of violation.
Blake courageously voiced her discomfort, referring to the trans student as a male, which led to her suspension. Similarly, Travis lost his coaching position for expressing his views on Facebook, referring to the student by their biological gender.
Commenting on the family’s ordeal, Phil Sechler, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, praised the school’s acknowledgment of the error. He stated, “No one should lose their job or get suspended from school for voicing their opinion or calling a male a male, and we are glad to see this case resolved favorably.”
In a statement regarding the settlement, Orange Southwest Supervisory District Superintendent Layne Millington maintained that the district was not admitting any wrongdoing and would continue to uphold its policies. However, this decision speaks volumes about the district’s fear of extended litigation.
The lawsuit asserted that the school district officials, as state actors, had violated the First Amendment rights of the Allens by attempting to dictate their speech on a matter of public concern. In addition, it accused the officials of discriminating against speech based on its viewpoint, a key violation of the constitutional right of freedom of speech.
This case is a crucial precedent for free speech and the rights of students and parents to express their viewpoints in public educational institutions. It reinforces the belief that freedom of speech remains alive and well, one of our nation’s most cherished principles.
As this saga concludes, the Allens can look forward to a return to normalcy. Blake’s school records will be cleared, and Travis will coach his middle school soccer team again.
