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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1/14/21  3:23 pm
Commenter: LAL

Proposed Policy by The Virginia Department of Education Concerning All Students
 

I am strongly against the proposed policy by the Virginia Department of Education concerning All Students in Virginia Public Schools under the pretext of "Transgender Students".  A bullying policy has already been passed in Stafford County which covered all students.  However this policy takes it to a whole different level and supports lying to parents regarding children as young as kindergarten regarding "gender expression".  This policy would allow school staff the exploration, facilitation, and involvement in the decision making process of your child's "gender expression of sexual identity" while at school.  

Furthermore, Parents who encourage their children to embrace their biological sex at birth in their own home would be at risk of being reported for child abuse or neglect by the school which has already happened in some states and is laid out in this policy.

Inconceivably, all students will be allowed to use any bathroom or locker room they choose without being questioned by any school administrator or faculty, eliminating privacy and safety of students in states of undress.

This policy clearly takes things beyond the concept of bullying and instead proposes to push an ideology on all students sidestepping Parental Rights, individual rights of Privacy, Safety, Religious Freedom and Freedom of Speech or Not To Speak (ie; pronouns) of all students and teachers.  Our founders of this great country and state never intended for people to be forced from their Rights of Conscience at school or at home.  They never intended to restrict citizens (not subjects) of their practice of Religious Freedom at home or prohibit underlying principles based on Morality.  They never intended for Schools to mandate ideology regarding sexual anything concerning their children and replace  parental discernment and guidance with school policy.  They never intended to thwart the principles of Genetic Science.  Therefore this policy should not be supported as it goes against Parents Rights & overall Constitutionality.    

CommentID: 90018