A judge in the US state of Virginia has ordered that a Christian P.E teacher, that was put on administrative leave for saying he would not embrace the school's new LGBT policies, should be immediately reinstated.
Last month, Byron Cross, also known as "Tanner", told the Loudoun County Public School Board he will "never lie" to a student by saying that a "biological boy can be a girl, and vice versa" as required by the new policies implemented at the school.
"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," Tanner told the school council.
But Leesburg Elementary School found Cross' comments "disruptive" and decided to suspend him while an investigation took place. Cross then filed a lawsuit against the school demanding his job back and asking for his views not to be "censored again".
Earlier this week, the Court ordered the school to immediately reinstate the P.E teacher and said that the school's decision had been "extreme" as there was "simply not enough evidence" to support the impact of Cross' comments.
"Defendants shall immediately reinstate the Plaintiff to his position as it was prior to the issuance of his suspension and remove the ban that was placed upon him from all buildings and grounds of Loudoun County Public Schools," the judge said.
Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal organisation representing Cross, has called the ruling "a massive victory for freedom of speech".
Cross will be allowed to remain in his job until the 31 Dec, while the lawsuit continues.