Virginia Regulatory Town Hall View Comments

Department of Education

State Board of Education

Guidance Document Change: The Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools guidance document was developed in response to House Bill 145 and Senate Bill 161, enacted by the 2020 Virginia General Assembly, which directed the Virginia Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies concerning the treatment of transgender students in public elementary and secondary schools. These guidelines address common issues regarding transgender students in accordance with evidence-based best practices and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to: compliance with applicable nondiscrimination laws; maintenance of a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for all students; prevention of and response to bullying and harassment; maintenance of student records; identification of students; protection of student privacy and the confidentiality of sensitive information; enforcement of sex-based dress codes; and student participation in sex-specific school activities, events, and use of school facilities.

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2/3/21 9:02 pm

Commenter: Anonymous

Strongly Support

The policies go a long way in ensuring schools remain a safe environment for all people. It is hard enough to be a young kid growing up in a social media age, regardless of any characteristics that make people treat you as "other." The policies allow for transgender students to feel that their "other"ness is acceptable, while protecting their rights to limit the risk of any unintended consequences. To not pass this document would send the wrong message to the entire community, including both transgender students and those that would wish to alienate/exclude them.

CommentID: 96511