ASHLAND, Va. — A county faculty board in Virginia has voted to require transgender college students in search of to make use of bogs that align with their gender id to current written requests to highschool officers – and probably their disciplinary or prison data.
The Richmond Instances-Dispatch reported Tuesday that the Hanover County College Board’s new coverage additionally offers the board last say within the choice.
As well as, the coverage suggests college students submit signed statements from docs or therapists to highschool directors verifying that they’ve been recognized with “gender dysphoria and/or that the coed constantly and authentically expresses a binary gender id.”
The coverage additionally means that college students and their mother and father current a baby’s disciplinary or prison data.
College Board Chair John Axselle advised the newspaper he needs to ensure college students submitting a request “don’t have any ulterior intent.”
“Our general concern really is all the youngsters,” he mentioned.
Grace Zweckbronner, a transgender scholar who spoke at a information convention held by Equality Virginia, mentioned the coverage was invasive and “focused bullying.”
“Transgender and nonbinary college students simply wish to use the toilet in peace,” Zweckbronner mentioned.
The varsity board oversees a division of about 17,000 college students attending faculties exterior Richmond.
Virginia regulation required faculty boards to implement insurance policies for transgender college students by the primary day of the 2021 faculty 12 months. However the mandate was not tied to any state funding.
A mannequin coverage printed by Virginia’s training division states: “Entry to services reminiscent of restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to a scholar’s gender id shall be obtainable to all college students.”
The ACLU of Virginia sued the county faculty division late final 12 months for not enacting a transgender rest room coverage by final 12 months’s deadline. The case, which is on behalf of 5 mother and father of transgender college students, remains to be pending.
