The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled in favor of reinstating a school gym teacher who would not call students by the pronouns they use, The Associated Press reported.

The Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling in June that reinstated Loudon County Public Schools teacher Tanner Cross who ruled that the school system violated his free speech after he was suspended following a school board meeting.

The school system suspended Cross, who works at Leesburg Elementary, citing the disruption his comments caused at the school. He cited his religious beliefs at the board meeting where officials had been debating changes to its policies in its treatment of transgender students.

Cross said he would refuse to call transgender students by their pronouns.

The school system in northern Virginia has been at the center of debate of how racism and and race relations are taught.

The Supreme Court ruling keeps in place an injection that prevents the school from suspending cross.