Some Virginia School Boards Oppose New Transgender Policies  

Some Virginia school boards are pushing back on transgender policy guidelines made by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) which would give parents more authority and alter bathroom and locker room rules.  

The Fairfax County School Board and the Falls Church City School Board voted to oppose the guidelines this week, and several other school officials have likewise vocalized their opposition to the guidelines. Fairfax County Public schools sent a letter to the VDOE which said the policies were, “discriminatory and could possibly drive business out of the commonwealth.”  

The proposed rules would require students to use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their biological sex and would likewise force athletic departments to differentiate male and female teams. However, the guidelines also ask schools to accommodate transgender students by making single-stall bathrooms available for any gender and enforcing rules against bullying.  

While not yet in effect, other changes include informing parents prior to providing students with any gender related counseling services. Similarly, parental permission would become required before schools can officially change the student’s name or gender in school records.  

School boards are required by law to follow the VDOE’s guidelines; however, the code is lacking any enforcement mechanism.   

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