{"id":2479310,"date":"2025-08-27T06:16:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T10:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-public-school-transgender-controversies-could-scramble-governors-race\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T06:21:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T10:21:11","slug":"virginia-public-school-transgender-controversies-could-scramble-governors-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-public-school-transgender-controversies-could-scramble-governors-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia public school transgender controversies could scramble governor&#8217;s race"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvirginia-public-school-transgender-controversies-could-scramble-governors-race%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2479310&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses how transgender bathroom and locker room policies in Virginia public schools, specifically in Arlington and Loudoun counties, have become central issues in the state&#8217;s contentious 2025 gubernatorial race between Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome earle-Sears and former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger. <\/p>\n<p>In Arlington County, a transgender-identifying registered sex offender, Richard Kenneth Cox, was allowed to use girls&#8217; locker rooms at public schools and pools, allegedly exposing himself to children multiple times over several months. Community complaints were reportedly ignored before Cox&#8217;s arrest, prompting Arlington Public Schools to revise pool admission procedures, though the district reaffirmed its commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion.<\/p>\n<p>In Loudoun County,controversy arose after a female student secretly recorded three boys in the boys&#8217; locker room. The boys were subsequently suspended under Title IX for expressing discomfort with her presence. Parents of the suspended youths,supported by Earle-sears,have protested what they view as unfair and punitive application of Title IX policies,arguing for protection of sex-segregated private spaces. A state investigation found troubling evidence of Title IX abuses in the case.<\/p>\n<p>the issue has energized the gubernatorial campaign, with Earle-Sears leveraging parental concerns about transgender policies to rally support, drawing parallels to former Gov. glenn Youngkin&#8217;s accomplished stance against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">critical race theory<\/a> in schools. Democratic candidate Spanberger has faced criticism from Earle-Sears for her past support of transgender-inclusive policies. Public opinion appears to be shifting somewhat, with polls showing Earle-Sears closing the gap.<\/p>\n<p>The debate highlights broader cultural and political divides in Virginia and nationally over transgender rights in schools,parental involvement,and student privacy,with potential notable impacts on upcoming elections. <br \/> <!DOCTYPE html><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Virginia public school transgender controversies could scramble governor&rsquo;s race<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2212411\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Transgender bathroom policies &mdash; and their precipitating controversies &mdash; at two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Virginia<\/a> public school districts are taking center stage in the contentious gubernatorial face-off between GOP Lt. Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/winsome-earle-sears\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Winsome Earle-Sears<\/a> and former Democratic Rep. <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abigail-spanberger\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Abigail Spanberger<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The school policy in Arlington County, an affluent Northern Virginia area, allowed a serial sex offender, who identifies as transgender, to access the girls&rsquo; locker rooms repeatedly and allegedly expose himself to children.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3783356\/california-redistricting-republicans-risk-muddled-message\/\">California Republicans risk muddling message in redistricting fight<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3783762\/house-gop-targets-midwest-fight-2026-majority\/\">House GOP targets Midwest as fight for majority intensifies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3783782\/catelin-drey-flip-iowa-state-senate-seat-supermajority\/\">Catelin Drey flips Iowa state Senate seat to break GOP supermajority<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In neighboring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/loudoun\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Loudoun County<\/a>, the school district&rsquo;s transgender policy led to a female student secretly filming three male classmates inside the boys&rsquo; locker room. The school initiated Title IX proceedings against the boys for privately expressing discomfort with her presence in their locker room.<\/p>\n<p>Amid recent outcry over both incidents, Earle-Sears appeared at protests last week in support of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3418201\/loudoun-county-parental-pushback-transgender-title-ix\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">concerned parents opposing the counties&rsquo; transgender policies<\/a>, a move that could shake up the governor&rsquo;s race as this crucial issue captures attention from all corners of the commonwealth.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-arlington-county\">Arlington County<\/h2>\n<p>58-year-old Richard Kenneth Cox, a transgender felon from Alexandria, Virginia, was charged with exposing his genitals inside the girls&rsquo; locker rooms at Washington-Liberty High School and Wakefield High School, both of which house publicly accessible pools <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arlingtonva.us\/Government\/Departments\/Parks-Recreation\/Locations\/Pools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">managed by Arlington Public Schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>APS&rsquo;s non-discrimination policy permits open usage of sex-segregated school facilities depending on self-declared gender identity. Pool patrols are thereby able to access restrooms and changing areas of their choosing, regardless of biological sex.<\/p>\n<p>In a string of offenses from June to December 2024, Cox allegedly flashed women and children on multiple occasions in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-forces-girls-into-basketball-playoff-with-boy\/\" title=\"California Forces ... Into Basketball Playoff With Boy\">high school girls&#038;rsquo<\/a>; locker rooms. According to court documents, in one instance, a mother and her five-year-old child had seen Cox standing in a shower stall with his erect penis out at the Washington-Liberty aquatics center.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">For context on everything happening in Arlington County, Virginia tonight: The school board allowed this man, who was a convicted sex offender, to use a high school girl&#8217;s locker room because he claimed he was trans. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/h2vQ9vhWA9\">https:\/\/t.co\/h2vQ9vhWA9<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hXqJYoGFFO\">pic.twitter.com\/hXqJYoGFFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/greg_price11\/status\/1958683308742611412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>A parent <a href=\"https:\/\/wjla.com\/news\/local\/virginia-arlington-county-school-washington-liberty-high-school-woman-daughter-transgender-man-womens-girls-school-locker-room-commonwealths-attorney\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> WJLA-TV that she previously warned the Washington-Liberty pool director about Cox after her nine-year-old daughter had witnessed him fully naked in the girls&rsquo; locker room on Sept. 9. The mother said she received no response, and the manager on duty &ldquo;casually mentioned that this had been going on since [the] summer.&rdquo; Another woman <a href=\"https:\/\/wjla.com\/news\/local\/virginia-arlington-county-public-schools-aps-washington-liberty-high-school-sex-offender-richard-kenneth-transgender-exposes-himself-girls-locker-room-prosecution-fairfax\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a> pressed the Arlington School Board on the situation in September but the board did not respond, either.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3323386\/arlington-mother-warns-loophole-allowed-sex-offender-women-locker-room\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ARLINGTON MOTHER WARNS &lsquo;LOOPHOLE&rsquo; ALLOWED SEX OFFENDER IN WOMEN&rsquo;S LOCKER ROOM<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite the community complaints, Cox continued to use the girls&rsquo; locker room over a six-month period until his eventual arrest.<\/p>\n<p>According to Arlington County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office <a href=\"https:\/\/inmatewebquery.arlingtonva.us\/NewWorld.InmateInquiry\/VA0070000\/Inmate\/Detail\/-1892777\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inmate records<\/a>, Cox faces a slew of charges, including indecent exposure and loitering around a school as a registered sex offender.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vspsor.com\/Offender\/Details\/86a790ed-aa75-42d3-b966-7024adeeef69?Filter=None&amp;firstName=Richard&amp;lastName=Cox&amp;registrationNumber=&amp;Address=&amp;Zip=&amp;Result=lst&amp;Start=0&amp;PgSz=10&amp;SortCol=1&amp;Sort=asc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">state registry<\/a> says Cox is a Tier III sex offender, the most serious class of sex offenders <a href=\"https:\/\/vscc.virginia.gov\/documents\/2011\/1206\/sorna_compliance_update.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">requiring a lifetime registration<\/a>. Cox, who was once on the state&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/virginiacorrections\/photos\/vadoc-most-wanted-richard-kenneth-cox-is-a-registered-sex-offender-with-outstand\/1423168037878769\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most wanted list<\/a>, has a lengthy criminal history of preying upon children. In 1992, Cox masturbated in front of minors at an Arlington gym. In 2007, Cox was convicted on child pornography charges for possessing obscene material depicting the sexual abuse of children.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">VADOC MOST WANTED:  Richard Kenneth Cox is a registered sex offender from Alexandria, VA with outstanding warrants.  AKA Ricky Lord, James Edward Cox, Jim Cox, James Edward Lord.  Report anonymously at 877-896-5764 or call local law enforcement. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VjzRZxyqwK\">pic.twitter.com\/VjzRZxyqwK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; VADOC (@VADOC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VADOC\/status\/1319643663979479042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 23, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>APS has since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apsva.us\/post\/updated-pool-entry-procedures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">updated<\/a> the district&rsquo;s pool admission procedures to include cross-checking ID against the sex offender database. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apsva.us\/post\/superintendents-jan-22-message-to-families\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a districtwide<\/a> message addressing the Cox case, Superintendent Dr. Francisco Dur&aacute;n said, &ldquo;Arlington Public Schools will continue to foster an inclusive community for all, including those who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>At a monthly <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/showcase\/11424976?video=1112114932\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">APS school board meeting<\/a> on Thursday, one mother <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheBirdWords\/status\/1958674102647918915\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lamented<\/a> her young daughter having to change next to a naked Cox. &ldquo;APS is responsible for ignoring verbal complaints [about Cox],&rdquo; the mother said. &ldquo;Women and girls in our community deserve an apology.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Earle-Sears also <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheBirdWords\/status\/1958681950173978727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spoke<\/a> during the public comment portion of the evening. &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s the truth: There are two sexes, boys and girls, and for generations, we&rsquo;ve understood this, that they deserve their own sports teams, their own locker rooms, their own bathrooms,&rdquo; Earle-Sears said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not discrimination. It is common sense.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-loudoun-county\">Loudoun County<\/h2>\n<p>This month, Loudoun County Public Schools <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3758553\/loudoun-county-schools-boys-title-ix-transgender-locker-room-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suspended two boys<\/a> on Title IX sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination charges after a female student <a href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/loudoun\/Board.nsf\/files\/D7VMTS571DC2\/%24file\/8655.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">illicitly filmed<\/a> them changing clothes while discussing among themselves being uncomfortable with her using the boys&rsquo; locker room.<\/p>\n<p>The parents of the Stone Bridge High School boys, who are appealing the decision, say they fear the Title IX convictions appearing on their children&rsquo;s academic records. Both boys will be high school juniors this fall, which is when students that age typically start applying for colleges.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Sixteen-year-olds are now branded for life simply because they spoke up about the truth,&rdquo; Seth Wolfe, father to one of the suspended students, <a href=\"https:\/\/wjla.com\/news\/local\/family-press-conference-virginia-loudoun-county-locker-room-policy-policy-8040-lcps-public-schools-aaron-spence-board-members-title-ix-investigation-female-student-lgbtqia-lgbtq-rights-teachers-safety-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> reporters following the suspension announcement. &ldquo;His privacy was violated in the locker room. He was secretly videotaped. This is a gross abuse of authority.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3418201\/loudoun-county-parental-pushback-transgender-title-ix\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CLAMPS DOWN ON PARENTAL PUSHBACK AMID TRANSGENDER TITLE IX DISPUTE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A<strong> <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3402193\/loudoun-county-schools-title-ix-investigation-boys-filmed-transgender-student-locker-room\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">state-level investigation<\/a> scrutinizing how the school system handled the case found &ldquo;troubling evidence&rdquo; of Title IX abuses, unlawful retaliation, viewpoint discrimination, and suppression of student expression.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Virginia attorney general&rsquo;s office, the boys, who are Christian and Muslim, raised religious objections to <a href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/loudoun\/Board.nsf\/files\/D7VLH356939A\/%24file\/8040.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LCPS Policy 8040<\/a>, which allows students to access school facilities corresponding with their &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-high-school-transgender-runner-blows-past-biologically-female-competition\/\" title=\"... high ... runner excels in competition against female athletes in Oregon\">consistently asserted gender identity<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>When the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> asked why LCPS decided to proceed with disciplinary action against the boys in spite of the state&rsquo;s findings, a spokesperson said the school district has &ldquo;a comprehensive and objective process for Title IX investigations.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;At no time would LCPS suspend a student simply because they express discomfort,&rdquo; an LPS public information officer told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> in a follow-up statement. &ldquo;A reading of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lcps.org\/o\/hr\/page\/title-ix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Title IX resources<\/a> should make it clear that there is a high <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lcps.org\/o\/hr\/page\/title-ix-investigative-process\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bar to launch a Title IX investigation<\/a> and an even higher bar to determine a student is in violation of Title IX.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Earle-Sears joined the families of the suspended boys at a press conference on Wednesday outside of Stone Bridge High School.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&#128680; It&rsquo;s time for the insanity to stop. Girls are girls. Boys are boys. And punishing young men for speaking up about their discomfort is not normal. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EneF7YI3F9\">pic.twitter.com\/EneF7YI3F9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/winwithwinsome\/status\/1958245407181705268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>There, she said schools should not be weaponizing Title IX against students who don&rsquo;t want to share private spaces with members of the opposite sex.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I cannot believe that this is what we&rsquo;re finding in America,&rdquo; said Earle-Sears. &ldquo;And with me as governor, it&rsquo;s not going to continue. I will ensure that. I stand with you.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>APS and LCPS are two of five Northern Virginia school districts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/education\/3501882\/virginia-school-districts-ignore-trump-demand-change-transgender-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">refusing to scrap their respective transgender policies<\/a>, which permit access to school facilities on the basis of gender identity, not biology.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/education\/3501882\/virginia-school-districts-ignore-trump-demand-change-transgender-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS IGNORE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION&rsquo;S DEMAND TO CHANGE TRANSGENDER POLICY<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In July, the U.S. Department of Education <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.gov\/about\/news\/press-release\/us-department-of-education-finds-five-northern-virginia-school-districts-violation-of-title-ix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">determined<\/a> that LCPS, APS, Fairfax County Public Schools, Prince William County Public Schools, and Alexandria City Public Schools are all violating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3439423\/clearing-up-confusion-biden-title-ix-rewrite\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Title IX<\/a>, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;By refusing to reverse your reckless policies, you are failing our daughters and risking losing millions of dollars in funding our children,&rdquo; Earle-Sears <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apsva.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/08\/SB-Meeting-Transcripts-for-08212025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> the APS school board Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in August, Earle-Sears <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3499321\/winsome-earle-sears-pressures-abigail-spanberger-over-loudoun-transgender-policy-standoff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">egged on<\/a> a noticeably silent Spanberger to speak out on the transgender policy standoff.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Abigail Spanberger supports the radical Loudoun School Board&rsquo;s push to allow boys in girls&rsquo; bathrooms and locker rooms.<\/p>\n<p>If she cared about Virginia&rsquo;s parents or daughters, she&rsquo;d reject this insanity and the extremists endangering our kids. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UCGDCNzPE2\">pic.twitter.com\/UCGDCNzPE2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/winwithwinsome\/status\/1955620330787176725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>That week, Earle-Sears also <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/winwithwinsome\/status\/1955233998864629831\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">aired<\/a> an ad targeting Spanberger&rsquo;s past pro-transgender stance. &ldquo;Think Spanberger&rsquo;s a centrist? Think again,&rdquo; the ad said. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s all-in on boys in girls&rsquo; sports and men in women&rsquo;s locker rooms.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-electoral-impact\">Electoral impact<\/h2>\n<p>The off-year fight for Virginia&rsquo;s governorship is, so far, shaping up to be a backlash election that could return state power to Democrats after Republicans secured control of Congress and the presidency in 2024. However, the cultural flashpoint concerning transgender inclusion policies could potentially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3446477\/winsome-earle-sears-outlines-pathway-victory-virginia-governor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">change the trajectory of the race<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Earle-Sears campaigning on the transgender issue may tilt the political landscape the way in which the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/critical-race-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">critical race theory<\/a> debate had helped Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/glenn-youngkin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Glenn Youngkin<\/a> (R-VA) win in 2021, several Virginia-based&nbsp;parental rights advocates told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3479592\/winsome-earle-sears-interview-virginia-governor-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>SUCCEEDING YOUNGKIN: WINSOME EARLE-SEARS TRIES TO RECREATE THE GOP SURGE IN VIRGINIA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Governor Youngkin won in 2021 because Democrats deluded themselves into believing they could ignore parents while <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >pushing radical leftist identity politics<\/a>,&rdquo; said Virginia parent Jessica Anderson, president of the Sentinel Action Fund, a right-wing super PAC aimed at growing the Republican majority.<\/p>\n<p>Anderson said she expects <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/editorials\/3781539\/virginia-democrats-suffer-ideology-over-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democrats to similarly suffer at the ballot box in Virginia<\/a> and into the 2026 midterms should they continue to push gender ideology.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t seem like they&rsquo;ve learned any lessons since then. Democrats have doubled down on indoctrinating children in classrooms and refusing to protect private spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms,&rdquo; Anderson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Virginia parents want leaders who will keep fighting the insanity they see in schools, and Winsome Sears has demonstrated she will be that champion.&rdquo;[&lsquo;;p[&lsquo;;p<\/p>\n<p>On the 2021 campaign trail, Youngkin garnered widespread support from parents, a key voting bloc, who opposed critical race theory teachings in Virginia classrooms. A <a href=\"https:\/\/changeresearch.com\/change-research-crooked-media-pollercoaster-virginia-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">poll<\/a> of Virginia voters found that Youngkin promising to ban CRT curriculum in the state&rsquo;s schools was &ldquo;the most effective pro-Youngkin message among all voters and undecided voters.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Virginia parents have made clear before that the school systems are a top priority in their voting decisions, and the recent protests show that parents are once again hungry to be heard,&rdquo; Alleigh Marre, executive director of the American Parents Coalition, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Parents are tired of schools prioritizing gender ideology in policy decisions over student safety, privacy, and parental involvement.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; This combo image shows Democratic former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, left, shown Feb. 8, 2023 and Republican Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, right, shown Sept. 1, 2021. (AP Photo, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Defending Education, noted that gender ideology has become a lightning rod in schools across the country.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Recent protests in Arlington and Loudoun counties have brought scrutiny to local politics, and in fact, to the perspectives of trans evangelists themselves,&rdquo; Perry said, citing <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/goparlington\/status\/1958663148770120028\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a sign<\/a> brandished by a liberal protester at the APS school board meeting.<\/p>\n<p>The sign, directed at Earle-Sears, said, &ldquo;Hey Winsome, if trans can&rsquo;t share your bathroom, then blacks can&rsquo;t share my water fountain.&rdquo; In response to the racially charged sign, which made national headlines, Earle-Sears <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/winwithwinsome\/status\/1958686635249357148\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>, &ldquo;This is the &lsquo;tolerant&rsquo; left Abigail Spanberger defends.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3778451\/anti-earle-sears-protester-sign-jim-crow-era\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>ANTI-EARLE-SEARS PROTESTER&rsquo;S SIGN SPARKS BACKLASH OVER JIM CROW-ERA LANGUAGE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;By making bold reference to segregation in protest of the commonwealth&rsquo;s first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mccain-for-the-left-governor-in-blackface-better-than-conservative-black-woman-as-lt-gov\/\" title=\"McCain: &#039;For the Left,&#039; ...ernor in Blackface Better than Conservative Black Woman as Lt. ....\">black female lieutenant&#038;nbsp<\/a>;governor, the blatant discrimination underlying gender ideology was on full display,&rdquo; Perry told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Perry pointed to Earle-Sears gaining on Spanberger in the polls. A recently released <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roanoke.edu\/news\/rc_poll_politics_august_2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Roanoke College poll<\/a> shows Spanberger narrowly leading Earle-Sears by seven points (46% to 39%), a significant shift from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roanoke.edu\/news\/rc_poll_politics_may_2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">polling in May<\/a>, which had Spanberger up 43% to 26%, or a 17-point advantage.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The notion of &lsquo;transgender rights&rsquo; has Americans&mdash;and Virginians&mdash;utterly fed up with political pandering, pseudo-science, and victim hierarchies,&rdquo; Perry said.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> contacted Earle-Sears&rsquo; and Spanberger&rsquo;s campaigns for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virginia school transgender disputes may impact governor&#8217;s race<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2479311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/abigail-spanberger-winsome-earle-sears-Virginia-governor.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[14281,39547,49206,4019,5468],"class_list":["post-2479310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-controversies","tag-governors-race","tag-public-school","tag-transgender","tag-virginia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/abigail-spanberger-winsome-earle-sears-Virginia-governor.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2479310"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2479314,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479310\/revisions\/2479314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2479311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2479310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2479310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2479310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}