SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. — The Spotsylvania County school board voted to approve a controversial policy for transgender students on Monday. This follows new guidelines issued by the Virginia Department of Education. Those policies took effect in the Commonwealth last month.
The school board voted 4-2 in favor of the "Policy Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, And Respect For All Students" policy during its meeting Monday evening. The policy says students will be referred to by the names in their record, with pronouns according to their sex assigned at birth. A parent or guardian can issue written instructions otherwise.
The policy also says participation in sports will be determined by sex and not by gender or gender identity.
School board member Dawn Shelley chose to abstain from voting, earlier citing the need to better address safety concerns. Shelley said they were concerned about abusive parents and what would happen if the school system outed a student, and the child was harmed.
The public comment session for this vote lasted nearly two hours, with one parent saying if the school board approved the policies, they would have blood on their hands.
"It is disgusting that we are trying to make it seem like our kids don't matter," one parent said. "All kids matter!"
Another parent who spoke at the meeting said he just wants students' best interests considered.
"I just want us to do whatever we need to do so that we can do what's best for the kids," he said.
When the so-called model policies went into effect in July, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a statement, which said in part, "The VDOE updated model policies reaffirm my administration's continued commitment to ensure that every parent is involved in conversations regarding their child's education."
One parent told WUSA9 that the policies reflect the need to empower parents to have bigger voices in the decision-making.
"They're the guiders of our children so to not tell them or to lie to them, I just don't feel comfortable," she said.
Advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community sharply criticized Gov. Youngkin. Equality Virginia says this is a dangerous and politically motivated decision that singles out transgender youth.
Danielle Butler, a transgender woman who has a grandchild in the LGBTQ+ community in the school system, is worried about the possible dangers.
"I see this pushing them into thinking 'Why am I different? What do I need to do to be accepted? Do I need to end my life?'" Butler said.
Other school districts in Virginia have publicly said they are against the policies, like Alexandria City and Arlington Public Schools. Loudoun County's new superintendent said last week that the policies are still under review there.