Central Shenandoah News

Amidst a growing debate, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin defended his administration's transgender policies during a recent Fox News interview on Aug. 22, asserting their legal basis and the importance of parental involvement, while some school districts express concerns. Some Virginia school districts, including Prince William County, Fairfax County and Arlington, have opposed the policies and have allegedly failed to implement them, according to a report.

"It's the law and the law is very clear that I issue model policies and local school districts have to adopt policies consistent with the model policies," Youngkin said.

In Northern Virginia, Prince William County Public Schools have decided to maintain their own policies against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, contending that denying transgender students access to programs and facilities may violate Title IX and the U.S. Constitution. Conversely, other districts in the region like Fairfax County and Arlington have cited their existing policies as sufficient for protecting transgender students while complying with the law, and Richmond Public Schools will uphold their current policies on transgender students.

During the Fox News interview, Youngkin didn't specify how his administration would enforce Virginia school districts adopting his model policies but stated, "These school districts will in fact comply with the law." " On Thursday, Miyares announced he issued a legal opinion at the request of Youngkin, stating his belief that the model policies don't violate the U.S. Constitution, Title IX, and the Virginia Human Rights Act. In this opinion, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares wrote that school boards are required to adopt policies consistent with the model policies, but they can't conflict with "other applicable federal and state law." He examined the relevant laws and explained why he thinks the model policies don't conflict, touching upon student identification, athletics and bathrooms.

In a statement accompanying the opinion, Miyares reiterated Youngkin's standpoint.

"Parents, not government, are in the best position to work with their children on important life decisions, and no parent signs up to co-parent with the government," Miyares said. "The Model Policies ensure that all students are treated with dignity and that parental involvement remains at the center. These policies are fully compliant with the law, and school boards across the Commonwealth should support and implement them. It's not just common sense, it's the law."