Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
Guidance Document Change: The guidance document "Model Policies Concerning Instructional Materials with Sexually Explicit Content" was developed in conjunction with stakeholders in order to comply with SB656 (2022).
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8/3/22  12:29 pm
Commenter: Wei Lo, educator and mental health professional

Strongly Oppose
 

As an educator and someone who works with trained educational professionals, I strongly oppose the model policies concerning instructional materials with sexually explicit content. This bill is likely disrupting the practice of librarians, teachers, and other educators, who work to ensure all students, including LGBTQ+ students, can find themselves reflected and represented in learning materials. Limiting access to educational materials with vague standards proposed by this bill creates an unsafe environment for educators and vulnerable students when opportunities for rich and structured learning experience might be eliminated. School districts typically have existing regulatory policies for learning materials that are carefully selected. The proposed policy appear to contradict its intention to protect children and youth yet create a censorship in learning materials that further marginalize gender and sexual diversity. School need be safe for all students regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, national origin, disability, and other identities. 

CommentID: 124792