Anti-LGBT Hate Group Leader Applauds Virginia Supreme Court Decision

Mat Staver, founder of the anti-LGBT hate group Liberty Counsel, is taking a victory lap after the Virginia Supreme Court agreed to take up his clients' challenge to the Fairfax County School Board case regarding its inclusive policy in which the board added "sexual orientation," "gender identity," and "gender expression" to its policy and student handbook.

Staver represents Jake Doe, a minor, John and Jane, the parents, and Andrea Lafferty. This is one of several cases around the country, including a case in Virginia that has been blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court and cases in North Carolina and Texas where federal courts blocked the Obama administration's LGBT directive to public schools.

"This is very good news that the Virginia Supreme Court decided to grant the appeal and will now review the case," said Staver in a statement released by Liberty Counsel on Monday. "The Fairfax Country School Board's lawless act of adding 'gender identity, expression and sexual orientation' to the local policy violates state law and harms children. This is a matter of statewide and national concern. The lower court's dismissal was wrong and we look forward to the upcoming hearing before the Virginia Supreme Court. The fact that the Virginia Supreme Court decided to take up this case should be a warning to other local Virginia school boards and government bodies to back away from following the path of Fairfax County," Staver said.

As reported by AP, in May, the Obama administration sent a directive to public school districts across the country stating that schools must permit transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their chosen gender identity.

"What happened and what continues to happen is you have transgender kids in schools. And they get bullied. And they get ostracized. And it's tough for them," Obama said according to Reuters.

"My best interpretation of what our laws and our obligations are is that we should try to accommodate these kids so that they are not in a vulnerable situation," he said.