WEATHER ALERT
Lawsuit targets Virginia's policies on transgender students
Read full article: Lawsuit targets Virginia's policies on transgender studentsCobb announced the filing of a lawsuit challenging the state Department of Education's newly issued guidelines on the treatment of transgender students. The policies address prevention and response to bullying and harassment of transgender students and participation in school activities. The policies state that “access to facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to a student’s gender identity shall be available to all students.” They also say transgender students may use pronouns reflective of their gender identity, and that failure to speak a student's preferred pronouns could be considered harassment and discrimination. The league's rules allow transgender student athletes to play on teams different from their biological gender, but consistent with the student’s gender identity under certain circumstances. The General Assembly passed legislation in 2020 directing the Department of Education to create model policies on the treatment of transgender students.