On Monday, the Liberty Justice Center, famous for its victory in the 2018 case Janus v. AFSCME, filed a motion urging an Oregon court to reinstate a high school track and field coach who was fired after he proposed a separate division for transgender athletes so girls could only compete against other girls.
John Parks, an Oregon track and field coach for 40 years, wrote an open letter proposing a separate division for transgender athletes in a track and field state championship. In June, he was fired by the Lake Oswego School District and the Lake Oswego School Board. He was accused of harassing transgender athletes at recent track meets, a claim Parks says is false.
On July 24, the Liberty Justice Center filed a First Amendment lawsuit on Parks’ behalf. The Center contends the firing of Parks in alleged retaliation for the letter violated his First Amendment right to free speech. Liberty Justice Center has filed multiple declarations from parents whose children competed on the…