Peter Vlaming

Peter Vlaming

Peter Vlaming (photo) is a 50-year-old (as of 2021) American Christian, husband and father of four. From 2000 to 2011, Peter Vlaming, who is originally from Chicago, lived in France, where he completed his bachelors in French at the Sorbonne in Paris. From 2011 to 2018, he taught French at West Point High School in West Point, Virginia.

What happened to Peter Vlaming in 2018?

Peter Vlaming had a female student who decided to call herself a boy and renamed herself with a boy's name. Peter Vlaming addressed her by her new name, but did not refer to her as "he" or "him." During class one day, Peter Vlaming noticed that the girl was about to walk into a wall while viewing the catacombs in Paris via a virtual reality headset that she was wearing, and shouted to a student nearby, "Don't let her hit the wall!" to protect her.

The girl took offense at having been referred to as "her" and complained to the school administration, which ordered Peter Vlaming to refer to her using the masculine pronouns "he" and "him." Peter Vlaming refused and explained that his Christian faith does not allow him to refer to a female as a male.

In response, West Point High School Superintendent Laura Abel (photo) recommended to the West Point School Board to fire Peter Vlaming.

At his hearing before the school board, Peter Vlaming, the sole provider for his family of six, stated, "Even higher than my family ranks my faith," and observed, "We are here today because a specific worldview is being imposed on me."

In response, all five school board members - Paul Diggs, Elliot Jenkins, Phyllis Dorsey, Kay Lawson, and Dudley Olsson - voted (below) and decided to fire Peter Vlaming.

When asked after being fired if taking a stand for his faith and refusing to refer to a female as a male had been worth it, he said, "There are some hills that are worth dying on."

Peter Vlaming will be a fine addition to the teaching staff of a Biblical Christian high school, and his words, courage, and Biblical priorities should inspire and encourage Christians in USA as persecution increases.

Update: In September of 2019, Peter Vlaming took the West Point School Board to court for breach of contract and violating his rights under Virginia Constitution. As of April 2021, the case is still pending. The gofundme page for Peter Vlaming's family is here.