Former Falls Church Mayor Brian O’Connor this week joined the protest of other prominent F.C. citizens against the participation of the Rev. Jerry Falwell-spawned private Liberty Christian Academy of Lynchburg in the otherwise solely public school association of the Virginia High School League. Specifically, the complaint is based on the addition of discriminatory language against LGBTQ individuals that is now part of the Liberty Academy’s online statement of purpose.
The Liberty women’s basketball team won the Class 3 title game held in Richmond March 8 over the Meridian High School team from Falls Church, prevailing in the closing seconds in a 44-43 comeback win to complete a 27-0 season. The team was led by a star player from Southern California who is slated to play for the Falwell-founded Liberty University’s team next year in apparent violation of VHSL rules against participating high schools recruiting top players from outside their districts.
This week, O’Connor notified the News-Press that in response to the Lippman initiative, he contacted the Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to weigh in supporting the complaint. He wrote the ACLU as follows:
“I have put this on my professional letterhead so that you will know that I am an attorney, licensed in Virginia and the District of Columbia. I am a long time ACLU member. I was asked to contact the ACLU. This request was by Harold Lippman, president of the community organization in Falls Church City, citizens for a better city. Mr. Lippman was chairman of the Falls Church school board, and vice Mayor of the city of Falls Church, among other acts of public service.
“The Meridian High School girls basketball team was in a Virginia High School League championship game. Their opponent was the Liberty Christian Academy. You may know that Liberty is the offspring of Jerry Falwell.
“In 2015 Liberty Christian Academy sued the Virginia high school league, which is made up of only public schools. Apparently, the pressure of the lawsuit made VHSL create an exception and this private school was admitted.
“We believe the Academy’s statement of opposition to LGBT rights was not publicly stated in 2015 at the time of admission to VHSL.
“Attached is a copy of Mr. Lippman’s Letter to the Editor which he also published to the Virginia High School League as a complaint. I also attach an editorial commenting on this matter by the editor of the Falls Church News-Press, Mr. Nicholas Benton and a news article published by the Falls Church News-Press dated 18 April 2024.
“Thank you for your attention in this matter and for your continuing work for civil rights in the United States which are under constant threat. Eternal vigilance is required, unfortunately. Brian O’Connor.”
O’Connor was mayor of Falls Church in the early 1990s and was quoted in the editorial of the first-ever edition of the News-Press in March 1991 endorsing Thomas Jefferson’s insistence on the vital role of a free and independent press in a democracy. O’Connor has remained a community activist in Falls Church ever since, though working largely behind the scenes while his law practice has continued to flourish.
Meanwhile, Lippman told the News-Press that his letter of complaint to the VHSL has been acknowledged, though no indications of follow-on actions have been forthcoming to date.
He reiterated his concern that while the 2015 action by the VHSL board of directors to admit Liberty Academy into the VHSL competitions was hastily taken in reaction to a threatened lawsuit from Liberty, at that time there was nothing on Liberty’s public website or other documents indicating the practice of explicit discrimination against any class of persons, per se.
The added language now on the Liberty website (it’s unclear when it was added) reads, “As a Christian ministry birthed by the Thomas Road Baptist Church…LCA adheres to Biblical teaching regarding homosexual practices and transgender lifestyles. LCA does not employ teachers nor does it admit or retain students who are engaged in homosexual or bi-sexual practices or have a transgender or transsexual lifestyle.”
That statement is at odds with the Virginia Human Rights Act, the law of the commonwealth, which states that “it is the policy of the Commonwealth to safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status or disability” in employment and “places of public accommodation, including educational institutions and real estate transactions.”
