6th Circuit weighs constitutional problems with compelling pronouns

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch regarding a proposed friend-of-the-court brief ADF attorneys filed Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in Parents Defending Education v. Olentangy Local School District Board of Education in support of educators and students’ First Amendment right to speak according to their deeply held beliefs:

“School policies that compel the use of pronouns inconsistent with sex force students and educators to speak contrary to their deeply held beliefs. Olentangy Local School District has joined a troubling trend of school districts adopting gender-identity policies that force their staff and students to convey a message on a fundamental issue of human nature that directly conflicts with their faith. As we explain in our brief, for many people, the choice of pronouns communicates their belief that sex is immutable, and to use pronouns or names that reflect a gender identity inconsistent with sex violates their core convictions. The First Amendment guarantees every student and educator the right to speak in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs. We urge the 6th Circuit to affirm this fundamental constitutional protection.”

The ADF Center for Academic Freedom is dedicated to protecting First Amendment and related freedoms for students and faculty so that everyone can freely participate in the marketplace of ideas without fear of government censorship.

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