Officials at a Virginia middle school are facing criticism after allegedly barring a transgender student from using the boys' or girls' locker rooms during an active shooter drill.
The LGBTQ rights group Equality Stafford said that during the drill, the girl was forced to sit on the bleachers and later in the hall while other students in her physical education class took shelter in locker rooms. The group said the teachers were apparently debating which locker room would be appropriate.
"The student was forced to watch the adults charged with her care, debate the safest place (for the other students) to have her shelter," the group said in a Facebook post. "During this debate, she was instructed to sit in the gym with a teacher until the drill was complete, away from her peers and identified as different. After some additional debate, she was made to sit in the locker room hall way, by the door away from her peers."
Equality Stafford invited the public to attend a Stafford County school board meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to voice support of LGBTQ students and staff.
A spokeswoman released a statement saying that the new superintendent has asked for a review of "all protocols and procedures to ensure that all children are treated with dignity and respect."
