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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1/5/21  8:29 pm
Commenter: Tom H.

Strongly disagree.
 

First, this is like giving a fifth grader the right to vote or to join the army. They do not have enough life experience nor cognitive maturation to make these decisions. Further, making the wrong decisions may hurt them more in the long run than in the short run.

Second, this reminds me of “Brave New World” or “1984” where parental experience and responsibility is surrendered to others - the school or the state. Societal norms, religion, and culture determine civilizations and when “anything goes” it portends the fall of civilization!

CommentID: 88488