RICHMOND, Va. — During their Monday night meeting, the Richmond Public School Board formally rejected the new version of the transgender and nonbinary student policies laid out by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).
4th district board member Jonathan Young was the lone vote against rejecting the policies last night, saying parents need more of a say in their student’s lives.
Young's reasoning echoed Governor Glenn Younkin's heavy emphasis on parental rights with the newly-proposed policies.
Those new policies include sport team placements and pronouns based on the students assigned gender at birth. And schools would only recognize transgender students if they have written parental consent.
Youngkin said these policies restore parental rights on these issues citing the 14th amendment — that a parent’s rights includes choosing their child’s education.
Shonda Harris-Muhammed, Richmond School Board Chair, said, "My concern is that if we delay doing this, this particular resolution — this is just me — that it may send a message to our young people, our staff that we don't care about them and that’s farthest from the truth."
"I am sorry that some persons don't want parents to have any say pertaining who can share a locker room, shower room, or bedroom with their children," Young said. "To be clear for all the conversation about bathrooms, the outgoing model VDOE policy would also preclude parents a say pertaining from after gym changing rooms and overnight field trips stays. Ill be voting no, thank you."
