“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” – Ephesians 4:25
In Ohio, the suburban Olentangy Local School District implemented policies prohibiting students from using gender-related speech that others might consider “offensive.” Specifically, students were to address their peers by their “preferred pronouns.”
The school claimed these policies were to help prevent bullying and discrimination. However, the school district’s policies were a clear violation of the students’ rights, and to address the issue, Parents Defending Education filed a lawsuit against the district.
The lawsuit argued that when the school district required students to use another’s “preferred pronouns,” the students’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were being violated. The case made it up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, where the court ruled in favor of Parents Defending Education, and thus, ruled that Ohio’s fourth-largest school district cannot force its students to address other students by their gender-related “preferred pronouns.” Students are allowed to address other students by using pronouns that are in accordance with another student’s biological sex.
This court ruling is a massive win for our American students, our precious First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, and the right to freely speak truthfully to our neighbor. The Bible commands us to be people who are truthtellers and not to go along to get along, with falsehoods, like in this situation of using gender-related “preferred pronouns.”
LET US PRAY…
Father, we praise You for this massive court victory that protects the rights of students. Lord, help each one of us as Americans to exhibit strength and courage as we stand for our precious God-given rights. Father, help us to always stand and speak for truth and to never go along to get along by furthering falsehoods. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.