Virginia’s Governor Removes Protections for Transgender Public School Students
Sep 22, 2022
| Virginia’s Governor Removes Protections for Transgender Public School Students Virginia’s governor is enduring threats of a major civil rights dispute after he announced this month that the state’s schools will no longer be required to accommodate special requests for transgender students. All students will be allowed to access only the facilities and programs that match their gender at birth under the new policy. Teachers will not be required to refer to transgender students by their preferred names or genders. In other words, teachers will not need to refer to previously male transgender students as “she” or “her” if the gender references violate “their constitutionally protected” free speech, the “model policies” say. In addition, the Department of Education is requiring that parents submit legal documentation to prove the need for their children to change their names or genders for school activities. If students start showing signs of homosexual behavior, the policy says teachers would not be allowed to avoid disclosing it to parents who ask. The policies will take effect Oct. 26 after a 30-day public comment period. |