Governor policy regarding transgender bathrooms and preferred pronouns
“Several school districts in Virginia have declared their refusal to adopt Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s model policies, which mandate students to use bathrooms and pronouns aligned with their biological sex.
The Virginia Department of Education’s 2023 Model Policies were recently updated, providing school districts with “clear and useful” recommendations on preferred pronoun usage, student record maintenance, identification procedures, and enforcement of sex-based dress codes.
According to the new guidelines, students are required to use facilities that correspond with their biological sex, except when federal law demands otherwise. Additionally, students must obtain parental permission to be referred to by a name or gender different from their biological identity.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt and School Board Chair Michelle Rief of Alexandria City Public Schools jointly expressed their dismay over Gov. Youngkin’s policies on transgender students. They affirmed their commitment to all students, staff, and families, including the LGBTQIA+ community, stating that ACPS will continue implementing and developing gender-affirming policies in line with their existing Nondiscrimination in Education policy, which has recognized gender identity as a protected class since 2013.
Loudoun County Public Schools and Prince William County Public Schools are also currently reviewing the updated policies, while Stafford, Fairfax, and Arlington County school districts already have policies in place that do not align with the new state guidelines.
Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán declared that their current policies safeguarding the rights of transgender students will remain unchanged. He emphasized that these policies are consistent with decisions from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1973, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Dr. Durán expressed opposition to any policy that infringes upon the rights and well-being of LGBTQIA+ students.
Introduced in 2022, Gov. Youngkin’s model policies replaced those implemented by former Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam. The Youngkin administration contends that these policies grant parents more rights regarding their child’s education.
In response to the school districts’ defiance, a spokesperson for the governor highlighted that the Virginia Department of Education is responsible for providing model policies, which school boards are expected to adopt in compliance with the law.
The potential penalties that school districts may face for failing to follow the state’s new policies remain unclear.”
