Virginia Regulatory Town Hall View Comments

Department of Education

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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10/21/22 9:35 am

Commenter: Jacqueline Goodwin

“Parental Rights” should not allow Cruelty to kids already struggling.

OPPOSED! Gov Younkin’s policies to reverse transgender student policies is cruel and harmful to some of the most vulnerable kids. This cruelty should not be hidden behind a campaign for parental rights.

But if you want to talk about parental rights, what about the rights of parents and families who ARE supportive of their transgender children? They know more about trans issues and what is right for their child than their kid than anyone else! But these policies give teachers the right to disrespect the name / pronouns of kids even when their parents are supportive. Why are their “rights” given more respect than the child or their families?

These changes also deny counseling to kids who are struggling and do not have support at home. If you knew anything about them, you would know that these kids have the highest suicide rates of any group. You don’t think they deserve the help of counseling?? Aren’t we supposed to be helping kids on our schools?

Anyone who knows any of these kids and their families, or have any knowledge or education about them, will also know how delicate they are, and many in a place of crisis. They need the support of their families, their schools and their communities. Forcing trans kids to use bathrooms and locker rooms of their biological sex is harmful and dangerous. It is humiliating. It is cruel. These kids are not some weirdos trying to get a sneak peek in the bathroom. If you knew anything about them, you would know they just want to feel safe.

I am sickened by these changes and the reversal of progress that many schools have made just because people who are ignorant of trans people and what these kids and these families are facing. It is unjust and cruel. Please do not enact these changes. If you do, you will be doing a lot of harm.

CommentID: 191782