Virginia finalizes guidance on transgender students, including rolling back some accomodations

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration said Tuesday that it has finalized new policies on the treatment of transgender students, guidance that will direct school districts to roll back some current accommodations and increase parental notification requirements about certain discussions involving gender identity.

Youngkin said the guidelines, which have been sharply criticized by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups since they were first unveiled last year, will empower parents while prohibiting discrimination and creating a safe learning environment.

“All children in Virginia deserve to have a parent engaged in their life and to be treated with dignity and respect. The (Virginia Department of Education's) updated model policies reaffirm my administration’s continued commitment to ensure that every parent is involved in conversations regarding their child’s education, upbringing, and care,” he said in a statement.

The Republican governor's administration first advanced the proposed changes in September 2022, sparking protests from student activists around the state. The changes were then subject to a public comment period, and tens of thousands of opinions rolled in that the Department of Education has spent months reviewing.

Now, in accordance with a 2020 state law, school boards will be asked to adopt policies that are consistent with the department’s.

The guidance says students’ participation in certain school programming and use of school facilities like bathrooms or locker rooms should be based on the sex assigned at birth, with modifications offered only to the extent required under federal law.

The finalized...