Chesterfield County School Board makes decision on transgender student policy
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Chesterfield County Public School Board met to discuss its transgender student policy in an hours-long meeting Tuesday night, voting to amend the proposed draft to include additional changes. More than 130 people signed up for public comment. “If your child doesn’t feel safe telling you about their sexual orientation or gender, that is a home issue, that is not a school issue," said Chesterfield school counselor and parent Christina Mejia during public comment. "Counselors do not want to be mandated by the school board to be put in the middle.” But some speakers expressed the opposite view. “This county thinks they can decide that they [students] can change their gender and keep the parents in the dark," said Chesterfield resident Donald Stroud Sr. during public comment. "That has got to end, and it’s got to end tonight.” Stroud said his three children went to school in Chesterfield County, and he currently has five grandchildren doing the same. In a three-to-two vote, the board voted to amend its 2021 policy -- which it currently follows -- to include Governor Glenn Youngkin's policies on transgender students, which was approved by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) back in July. However, the board made changes to what was originally presented. The 2021 policy originally stated a student could request to go by a different name or pronouns at school. But now, the school will need approval from both the student and a parent. One change the board made to the original draft was removing the process of school staff reaching out the parent for this approval. This means the school will not be responsible for notifying the parent if their child requests to go by a different name or pronoun different from their school record. Instead, the student will have to have that conversation with their parent. School Board Chair Dot Heffron told board members Tuesday night that this change will keep the school from outing a student. "Forced outing can permanently damage the relationships between students and their families, potentially leading to being kicked out of the house, forced conversion therapy, physical abuse, sexual abuse and even death for far too many members of our community," Meadowbrook High School art teacher Jayce Bryner said during public comment. If a student feels they cannot have a conversation with their parent about going by a different name or pronoun, Heffron said the Code of Virginia would come into play to identify students who are at risk. School board members also made an amendment regarding access to facilities, stating that single-use facilities like bathrooms will be made available to any student who requests privacy. And if a child receives counseling at school, parents will be allowed to contact the school and provide input. "Teachers and counselors should not counsel on gender identity unless they first contact the parent," said Kay Kidd during public comment. "I wonder if this is an attempt to counsel students and conceal it from parents." The amended policy kept in that school staff will legally have to keep information about a student’s transgender status, legal name or gender assigned at birth confidential. This information cannot be shared with other students, but only with school personnel if it’s with a legitimate educational interest and with a parent or guardian upon request.
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CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Chesterfield County Public School Board met to discuss its transgender student policy in an hours-long meeting Tuesday night, voting to amend the proposed draft to include additional changes.
More than 130 people signed up for public comment.
“If your child doesn’t feel safe telling you about their sexual orientation or gender, that is a home issue, that is not a school issue," said Chesterfield school counselor and parent Christina Mejia during public comment. "Counselors do not want to be mandated by the school board to be put in the middle.”
But some speakers expressed the opposite view.
“This county thinks they can decide that they [students] can change their gender and keep the parents in the dark," said Chesterfield resident Donald Stroud Sr. during public comment. "That has got to end, and it’s got to end tonight.”
Stroud said his three children went to school in Chesterfield County, and he currently has five grandchildren doing the same.
In a three-to-two vote, the board voted to amend its 2021 policy -- which it currently follows -- to include Governor Glenn Youngkin's policies on transgender students, which was approved by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) back in July. However, the board made changes to what was originally presented.
The 2021 policy originally stated a student could request to go by a different name or pronouns at school. But now, the school will need approval from both the student and a parent.
One change the board made to the original draft was removing the process of school staff reaching out the parent for this approval. This means the school will not be responsible for notifying the parent if their child requests to go by a different name or pronoun different from their school record. Instead, the student will have to have that conversation with their parent.
School Board Chair Dot Heffron told board members Tuesday night that this change will keep the school from outing a student.
"Forced outing can permanently damage the relationships between students and their families, potentially leading to being kicked out of the house, forced conversion therapy, physical abuse, sexual abuse and even death for far too many members of our community," Meadowbrook High School art teacher Jayce Bryner said during public comment.
If a student feels they cannot have a conversation with their parent about going by a different name or pronoun, Heffron said the Code of Virginia would come into play to identify students who are at risk.
School board members also made an amendment regarding access to facilities, stating that single-use facilities like bathrooms will be made available to any student who requests privacy.
And if a child receives counseling at school, parents will be allowed to contact the school and provide input.
"Teachers and counselors should not counsel on gender identity unless they first contact the parent," said Kay Kidd during public comment. "I wonder if this is an attempt to counsel students and conceal it from parents."
The amended policy kept in that school staff will legally have to keep information about a student’s transgender status, legal name or gender assigned at birth confidential. This information cannot be shared with other students, but only with school personnel if it’s with a legitimate educational interest and with a parent or guardian upon request.
