Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
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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1/9/21  6:27 pm
Commenter: Anonymous

Strongly Support
 

Not too long ago I was in school myself. I never felt safe enough to be myself, I already faced bullying from peers and teachers for simply the way I acted. It would have been much worse if I was out. Due to this I often fell behind in school and many of my mental health issues worsened. Many times I chose to skip class altogether. I do not have to imagine how tough it is for kids who are out. I’ve spoken to them in trans support groups, they are incredibly frustrated and saddened that they feel that nothing can be done about the harassment and discrimination they face in school. Having these guidelines would help so many actually have the right to basic respect and be able to argue what’s happening to them is wrong.

CommentID: 89292