Spotsylvania County Public Schools adopted new policies on the treatment of transgender students in a school board vote early Tuesday.
Students in the Virginia district will start the school year with changes related to pronouns, names, parent notification, sports, bathrooms and locker rooms. The policies are in line with Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s "Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia's Public Schools,” which were announced in July.
The controversial decision was met with a mix of concern and praise.
“I know kids whose parents don’t support them and who have a hard time because of that, and if our school environment starts to not support them, I’m worried about how it might affect them,” high school senior Katie Quick said, flagging worries about the mental health of LGBTQ+ students.
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“I don’t think that outsiders should tell parents what rights their child should have. I think that should come from the household,” parent Samantha Price said.
Here’s what’s in Virginia’s model policies on transgender students:
Parents determine which pronouns and names students use at school: School employees "shall refer to each student using only (i) the name that appears in the student’s official record, or (ii) if the student prefers, using any nickname commonly associated with the name that appears in the student’s official record." The only way for students under 18 to change their name in the school's official record is if a parent submits a legal document showing the name change or sex change.
Schools activities are divided by sex at birth, not gender identity: "For any school program, event, or activity (including extracurricular activities) that are separated by sex, the appropriate participation of students shall be determined by sex rather than gender or gender identity."
Parents can refuse to have their children share bathrooms and locker rooms with transgender children: If state or federal law requires schools to permit transgender students to use sex-segregated facilities such as bathrooms or locker rooms, “parents should be given the right to opt their child out of using such facilities, and the child should be given access to alternative facilities that promote the child’s privacy and safety.”
Parents must be informed of any counseling related to gender: Parents “must be informed and given an opportunity to object before counseling services pertaining to gender are given."
The entire 18-page policy document can be found here.
Parents, students weigh in on new policy
The school board heard emotional testimony on Monday from parents and students.
A parent testified that she’s looking forward to seeing increased parent engagement.
“It’s definitely going to bring opportunities for more parent involvement than we’ve had before,” she said. “Sometimes parents don’t know what’s going on.”
Teachers need to be prepared to handle the effects of the policy, one woman testified.
“The reality is, children who are afraid to come out to their parents will find a trusted adult, and they will come out to teachers, and the teachers must be trained in how to handle that,” she said.
Hearing news of the decision, parent Clint Havlin said, “I think we just need to let kids be who they are.”
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In Fairfax County, students are expected to hold a protest rally and march on Tuesday evening in opposition to the state policies.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
