Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
Guidance Document Change: Every day, throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, educators and school leaders work to ensure that all students have an opportunity to receive a high-quality education. As a part of that work, educators strive to meet the individual needs of all students entrusted to their care, and teachers work to create educational environments where all students thrive. The Virginia Department of Education (the “Department”) recognizes that each child is a unique individual with distinctive abilities and characteristics that should be valued and respected. All students have the right to attend school in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, or bullying. The Department supports efforts to protect and encourage respect for all students. Thus, we have a collective responsibility to address topics such as the treatment of transgender students with necessary compassion and respect for all students. The Department also fully acknowledges the rights of parents to exercise their fundamental rights granted by the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children. The Code of Virginia reaffirms the rights of parents to determine how their children will be raised and educated. Empowering parents is not only a fundamental right, but it is essential to improving outcomes for all children in Virginia. The Department is mindful of constitutional protections that prohibit governmental entities from requiring individuals to adhere to or adopt a particular ideological belief. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees religious freedom and prohibits the government from compelling speech that is contrary to an individual’s personal or religious beliefs. The Department embarked on a thorough review of the Model Policies Guidance adopted on March 4, 2021 (the “2021 Model Policies”). The 2021 Model Policies promoted a specific viewpoint aimed at achieving cultural and social transformation in schools. The 2021 Model Policies also disregarded the rights of parents and ignored other legal and constitutional principles that significantly impact how schools educate students, including transgender students. With the publication of these 2022 Model Policies (the “2022 Model Policies”), the Department hereby withdraws the 2021 Model Policies, which shall have no further force and effect. The Department issues the 2022 Model Policies to provide clear, accurate, and useful guidance to Virginia school boards that align with statutory provisions governing the Model Policies. See Code of Virginia, § 22.1-23.3 (the “Act”). Significantly, the 2022 Model Policies also consider over 9,000 comments submitted to the Department during the public comment period for the 2021 Model Policies.
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9/27/22  10:07 am
Commenter: Anonymous

If a child is being beaten, should we say, "They're the parent, they know whats best
 

This is wrong and cruel. I agree that sports are somewhat unfair to let a trans girl compete against girls, but stopping them from being able to identify themselves is just wrong. A trans girl can still compete in sports, just with biological boys to make it fair. Many parents do not support trans people and this would force people out to their parents. That could cause children to be disowned. Forcing trans people to stay in the locker room of their biological sex may seem right, but it could cause severe bullying and discrimination! No one would be creeping in the locker room. I understand that some will not like having trans people in their locker room, but people should not be ashamed or afraid of trans people. They are just like any other kid. They feel right as a girl, then let them do what they feel comfortable doing as a girl. The majority of trans people are not thinking perverted thoughts about people when they are in a locker room. That is once in a blue moon. Also, many parents would disown or attack their children if they found out that they were trans. Yes, parents should parent their kids. But if the parent is against the child, then they cannot parent their child without putting them at risk. All these transphobic people replying to this have no idea how harmful letting parents have complete control. If a child is being beaten, should we just turn and say, "They're the parent, they know whats best for their kid," NO! But this is fine. There is a reason suicide rates are so high among trans teenagers. It's because they are receiving constant hate and rejection from society. Many parents will not accept their child as trans and may disown them. Many trans teens will lose the help they need to get into a good school and get a good job.

CommentID: 145788