Glenn Youngkin criticizes Virginia’s biggest school district for defying transgender policy.

Gov. Youngkin’s Office Calls Out Fairfax ‍County Public Schools ⁣for Defying Transgender Policy

The office of ⁢Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) has taken aim at Fairfax County Public Schools, the largest school‍ district in the commonwealth, after its superintendent⁢ decided to defy the governor’s transgender policy.

On Tuesday, FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid‌ sent a message to district families, boldly vowing to continue the practice of using “chosen names and pronouns” for children identifying as transgender. Additionally, the district plans to⁢ allow these students to use restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities that align with their gender identity, rather than their biological ⁣sex.

Heightened Concerns Over Bathroom Policy

Bathroom policy has become a major concern in Virginia,⁣ particularly since an incident in 2021 when a boy wearing a ⁣skirt was able to enter the girls’ restroom and sexually⁤ assault a⁣ student in neighboring Loudoun County. The former superintendent of Loudoun County schools, Scott Ziegler,‌ was indicted by ⁢a special grand jury in December 2022 following a scathing report on the district’s mishandling of the‍ sexual assault response.

“The law requires the Virginia Department of Education to provide model policies and requires school boards to adopt policies consistent with those provided by the Department,” stated Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter. “The ‍Fairfax County Public Schools policies diverge from VDOE model policy guidance and perpetuate a ⁣false notion that FCPS knows what’s better⁤ for a child than a child’s parent.”

Porter emphasized that the‍ Fairfax County school board is expected to‌ adhere to the law.

FCPS conducted a thorough legal review ⁤and determined that their current policies are ⁣legally permissible under Gov. Youngkin’s updated Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Public Schools. The Commonwealth’s Department of Education had ‍criticized the previous guidelines for disregarding parental rights and other legal and constitutional principles that impact how schools ⁤educate transgender students.

The new policies require facilities like restrooms,⁣ locker rooms, and gender-specific activities ⁣to be separated based on a student’s biological sex.

All 133 school districts in Virginia are required to adopt policies consistent⁢ with the new guidance.

However, FCPS argues​ that their⁤ persistence on the transgender issue is permissible under federal and state anti-discrimination laws.

The Washington Examiner ​reached out to FCPS for comment.

Jeremiah Poff contributed to this ⁢report.

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