Earlier this year, a high school coach in Oregon lost his job over claims of transgender discrimination. Now, he’s filing suit over an alleged violation of his First Amendment rights.
Wrongful Termination?
John Parks, a former track and field coach in Oregon, has filed a lawsuit against his former school district over claims that he was wrongfully terminated for sharing his opinions on the state’s transgender athlete policies.
Liberty Justice Center
The Liberty Justice Center announced that it had filed a First Amendment lawsuit on Park’s behalf in a press release on Thursday.
Nonprofit For Constitutional Rights
The center is a nonprofit organization that “defends constitutional rights and freedoms in the United States,” according to its official website.
Against the Lake Oswego School Board
The lawsuit alleges that the Lake Oswego School District and the Lake Oswego School Board had unfairly terminated Park’s employee contract for voicing his opinion.
Writing to the OSAA
Back in May this year, Parks sent two letters to the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). In the letter, he urged state lawmakers to adopt new policies concerning transgender athletes’ participation in sports.
An “Open” Division
Park was protesting the participation of a transgender student in a female division. He felt it did a disservice to girls’ sports and instead suggested a separate ‘open’ division where all sexes and genders could compete against each other.
“An Opportunity to Participate”
“My proposal to encourage transgender participation is to offer an open division that is so named so it doesn’t identify or discriminate but offers an opportunity to participate,” Parks stated in one of the letters.
Complaint Filed
Shortly after, an OSAA member named Marshall Haskins filed a complaint about the letters and accused Parks of transgender discrimination against the transgender student, who has not been publicly named.
“Policy Violation”
A subsequent investigation by the school board led to the termination of Park’s contract on the grounds of a “policy violation.”
“Insubordinate” and Discriminatory Behaviour
A letter from Lake Oswego High School Principal Kristen Colyer confirmed that the investigation found evidence that Parks had been “insubordinate and discriminated against the McDaniel High School transgender athlete.” Now, Parks is moving to sue.
“Fired For Exercising Constitutional Right”
“Coach Parks was retaliated against, falsely accused of discriminatory behavior, denied an appeal, and fired – just for exercising his constitutional right to free speech as a private citizen,” said Buck Dougherty, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center.
Other Accusations Against Parks
Marshall’s complaint that Parks communications went far beyond a simple proposal. He claimed that the coach called to bar transgender athletes from competitions and contacted coaches and parents to join him in a boycott of OSAA medal presentations.
No Discrimination
Parks and the lawsuit denied Marshall’s claims, maintaining that none of his communications with the OSAA had been discriminatory.
Only an “Expression of Concern”
“A staff member’s expression of concern for the welfare of both transgender and non-transgender athletes in a letter to a third party and conversations with third parties does not constitute discrimination prohibited by law,” the lawsuit reads.
Holding Board and District Responsible
It maintains that Park’s proposals were reasonable and fair responses to a national discussion and now seeks to hold the Lake Oswego school district and board responsible for violating Park’s constitutional rights.
Seeking Damages
It will also seek monetary damages for Parks, as well as his return to his old position as track and field coach, and a formal declaration from the courts acknowledging that the school district violated Park’s First Amendment rights.
Gaines For Girls
Parks has also publicly shared his opinion on the incident, appearing on “Gaines for Girls,” a podcast hosted by former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, who has gained notoriety as an advocate against the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports.
What He Was Advocating for
“All I was advocating for…. [was] an open division that would allow competition so that the fans could cheer the transgender athletes separately and recognize and reward their efforts,” Parks shared.
Cause For Distress
He also claimed that the inclusion of the aforementioned transgender student in a women’s 400-meter event in Lawk Oswego had caused “great distress” to the female athletes he coached and their parents.
No Further Comments
A spokesperson for the Lake Oswego School District has confirmed that Parks is no longer employed by the district. However, they did not comment further on the details surrounding his termination.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Mehaniq.
