“It’s the job of adults to put kids first, and the job of public schools everywhere to affirm their students," said ACLU of Virginia Policy and Legislative Counsel Breanna Diaz.

“By bullying a transgender young person in its district, Hanover County Public Schools are depriving our client of opportunities every public school student should have," said ACLU of Virginia Senior Transgender Attorney Wyatt Rolla.

“This week’s ruling does not change binding Fourth Circuit law under Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board that makes clear discrimination against transgender students – such as denying restroom access - violates Title IX," said ACLU-VA Senior Trans Rights Attorney Wyatt Rolla.

“VDOE’s 2023 model policies harm the very students they’re supposed to protect. They have already resulted in discrimination that violates state and federal law,” said ACLU of Virginia Senior Transgender Rights Attorney Wyatt Rolla.

“VHSL’s policies for transgender athletes have worked for over a decade,” said Breanna Diaz, Policy and Legislative Counsel for ACLU of Virginia. “Banning trans students from playing sports consistent with their gender identity violates federal law and guidance – and hurts cisgender students, too.

The Supreme Court of Virginia issued a ruling today reinstating a case brought by a public school teacher seeking the right to mistreat transgender students by refusing to refer to them with the pronouns consistent with their gender identity and sending it back to lower courts.

In response to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ opinion on the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) model policies for the treatment of transgender and nonbinary students, ACLU of Virginia Legal Director Eden Heilman issued the following statement: 

Spotsylvania County School Board became the first school board in the Commonwealth to enact the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)’s 2023 model policies for the treatment of transgender and nonbinary students.

Today the Youngkin administration's Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) announced its decision to replace existing policies regarding the treatment of transgender students in Virginia public schools with new policies that will harm and endanger trans youth.