Parents and community members concerned about Loudoun County schools’ policies on which bathrooms and locker rooms transgender students may use demonstrated outside a school board meeting Monday morning.
Trump administration officials said last month that five school districts in Northern Virginia violate students’ rights by allowing students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity: Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William. The school districts have until Monday to reverse course.
Outside the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building on Monday, one group urged the district to keep current policies in place; the other wants them removed.
“Keep women’s sports female,” said a sign held by a demonstrator on one side.
“Protect trans children” and “Say no to bullies,” signs on the other side said.
“Boys should be in boys’ locker rooms. Girls should be in girls’ locker rooms. To me that’s common sense,” parent Andy Cameron said.
Cameron stood with other community members as they waited for the meeting to start. A portion of the meeting was closed to the public as board members discussed the order that came down from the U.S. Department of Education last month.
The department said LCPS and other school districts are in violation of Title IX because they allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms aligned with their gender identity. The department gave districts 10 days to rescind their policies or face what they called “imminent enforcement action,” which would include a referral to the Justice Department.
“If you want to be different, you can be different. You can do whatever you want to do. But don’t expect laws to be made on your behalf to protect you, the minority,” a resident named Priscilla said. She held a sign saying Policy 8040 should be rescinded.
The policy, which sets out rights for transgender students, has been under scrutiny for some time. Supporters said they showed up Monday morning to defend the policy and defend kids.
“We are standing up for kids. It’s that simple. These are trans kids who we know are protected by the law. The Gavin Grimm v. Glouster Supreme Court ruling made it very clear: These kids have the right to use the restroom. They’re not hurting anybody,” said Candice Tuck of Equality Loudoun.
“The people who elected them elected them because they stood up for trans children’s rights, and we hope that they continue to do so,” Sean Murphy, also Equality Loudoun, said.
The district is expected to provide an update later Monday.
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