Youngkin warns Virginia schools about noncompliance with new transgender guidelines.
Virginia Governor Orders Defiant School Districts to Comply with New Transgender Policy
Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has taken a strong stance against school districts that have resisted implementing a new transgender policy framework. The policy includes a requirement for students to use bathrooms that align with their birth sex, a move that has faced opposition from several districts.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) recently released new model policies (pdf) regarding transgender students. These policies roll back some accommodations and give parents more influence in decision-making.
The updated model policies prohibit teachers from using pronouns that differ from a student’s biological sex, unless authorized by parents. Additionally, students are required to use bathrooms that correspond to their biological sex, with alternative facilities available only as required by federal law.
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Despite these new guidelines, several school districts have expressed their intention to disregard the rules and maintain their existing policies, which were based on previous model policies from VDOE. These previous policies allowed teachers to use preferred gender pronouns and granted students access to facilities based on their gender identity.
Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) issued a statement affirming their commitment to addressing transgender and “gender expansive” students by their chosen names and pronouns. They also stated that these students would have access to facilities consistent with their gender identity. The Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the largest school district in Virginia, echoed similar sentiments.
However, Governor Youngkin is standing firm. In an interview on Fox News, he emphasized that Virginia law grants him the authority to issue model policies, and school districts are obligated to adopt policies consistent with these models.
According to Governor Youngkin, the new rules prioritize parental authority and common sense. He stated, “Parents are in charge of their children’s lives. The kids don’t belong to the state. They belong to parents and to families, and they have the ultimate say in decisions that the child is going to make with a parent, not with a bureaucrat.”
The governor also highlighted the concerns of many parents who feel that the previous policies failed to ensure the safety and privacy of their children. He emphasized that this is a moment for parents, not politics, and urged school districts to comply with the law.
The Epoch Times has reached out to PWCS and FCPS for comment.
Policy Details
The new guidelines in Virginia state that a student’s participation in certain school programming and use of facilities, such as bathrooms or locker rooms, should be based on their assigned sex at birth rather than their gender identity.
Facility use modifications are only provided to the extent required by federal law. The model policy also includes an “opt-out” option for parents to request access to sex-separated facilities if state or federal law mandates the inclusion of transgender students in otherwise sex-segregated facilities.
The policies also emphasize that students who are minors must be referred to by the names and pronouns in their official records, unless a parent approves an alternative. Regarding parental notification, the guidelines state that school divisions should not encourage teachers to conceal information about a student’s gender identity from their parents. The finalized version of the policy also reminds school divisions to comply with a state law regarding communication about a perceived imminent risk of suicide by a student.
The new guidelines also ensure that parents have the opportunity to object before counseling services related to gender are offered to their children.
Previously, the model policy allowed students to use names and gender pronouns that align with their gender identity without requiring substantiating evidence. It also encouraged schools to consider sharing information about students’ gender identity with parents on a case-by-case basis, prioritizing the health and safety of students.
School Districts Refuse
Following the adoption of the new guidelines, FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid stated in a notice that the district had conducted a thorough legal review and determined that their current policies align with federal and state anti-discrimination laws, as required by the new model policies.
Under FCPS’s existing policies, Ms. R
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