Henrico Schools to review new state policies on transgender students

Henrico Schools will carry out a “thorough” legal review and community discussion about whether to adopt Virginia's new model policies regarding transgender students, according to the official spokesperson of Henrico Schools.

The Virginia Department of Education released its finalized guidelines July 18, outlining policies that would require teachers and administrators to divulge information about a student’s gender identity to their parents and give parents the right to object before counseling services pertaining to gender are offered to their child.

The guidelines also would prevent students who are minors from being referred to by names and pronouns that are not approved by their parents and would require school programming such as sports teams and facilities such as locker rooms and bathrooms to be based on sex assigned at birth, with parent-requested exceptions offered within the extent of federal law.

The Henrico School Board and policy review committee will examine the model policies during the coming weeks and engage in discussions with school principals and leaders as well as other members of the community to determine next steps, according to Henrico Schools spokesperson Eileen Cox.

“I just want to caution that this is not going to be a fast process – it’s going to be a thorough process,” Cox said. “It’s an important and weighty topic and our school board, our policy review committee, our community at large is going to take the time that we need to really thoroughly dig into that. There are some legal issues, legal questions, that need to be answered.”

Several Virginia counties have either rejected or publicly criticized the new policies. Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt said that ACPS would continue to implement gender-affirming policies despite the state restrictions. Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid and Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Francisco Duran also have spoken out against the new guidelines.

Other counties have pledged to follow the new guidelines after their own review and discussions. Virginia Beach School Board Chair Trenance Riggs said in June that the division would follow the state’s model policies, although a July 25 school board meeting saw a heated debate from members of the public.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also publicly announced his support, stating the VDOE policies are a win for “parents’ rights.”

While Henrico has yet to make an official decision, HCPS officials will be thoughtful in choosing the best solution to support all of their students, according to Cox.

“Henrico County Public Schools is committed to providing a safe, welcoming learning environment for all students, staff, and families,” she said.

Some parents, however, are concerned about the wellbeing of transgender and LGBTQ students if Henrico decides to adopt the state’s policies. L. Frances Brown, a retired HCPS psychologist, is the mother of a transgender child who graduated from Henrico Schools in 2015. She views the 2023 model policies as a “draconian approach” to parental rights.

“I’m a parent. I have three children. And parents have rights,” Brown said. “But my rights and what I want for my child shouldn’t be infringed upon by someone else feeling that they have to speak for their children and everyone else’s children.”

Brown’s child received “substantial support” from Henrico Schools, she said. During his 2015 high school graduation, Brown’s son, who was assigned female at birth, was allowed to walk alongside the other male students, in the male color gown, during the ceremony and have his preferred name read when he received his diploma. Without these modifications, Brown’s son told her he would not want to participate in graduation.

“My son was the first [transgender] student at his school to have graduated in the male color gown,” she said. “And it was sanctioned by the principal. He was allowed to march with the men. It paved the way for other students that came behind him, I’m sure. His counselor supported him 100%. The principal supported him 100%.”

However, Brown said that the same might not have happened if her son had graduated in 2024, for example. She felt that the political climate has changed since 2015, with more backlash from a “limited segment” of parents influencing school leaders and their decisions.

“If my child was in school now, I think I’d be on a picket line somewhere,” Brown said. “My child is now 26 years old and is a very proud man. But I don’t know if he would be as loud and proud as he is now had he endured all the things that I’m fearful that the children will experience if this new policy is enacted.”

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Other Henrico parents have expressed their hopes that the school board will adopt the new state policies. Richard Roberts II, a parent of two children who graduated from Henrico Schools, said he would be concerned if HCPS allowed transgender children to use sex-segregated bathrooms and locker rooms and participate on girls’ sports teams.

“I actually support the governor’s decision and I’m glad he’s doing that. Women have fought too hard for their rights,” Roberts said. “You gotta protect the girls not only from a locker room standpoint, also a safety standpoint, but you have to protect them from a competition situation. When it comes to children and women’s sports, we should absolutely protect those little girls no matter what.”

The executive director of the Virginia High School League said that the organization would continue to recommend its existing policies, which allow transgender students to participate on sports teams that match their gender identity under certain conditions, despite the new policies put forth by the Youngkin administration.

Roberts, who served on several Henrico PTA boards, also said he supports the state administration’s efforts to increase parent involvement.

“I’m glad that they are keeping parents involved in what’s going on, encouraging parents to be involved,” he said. “I’ve served on three different PTA boards probably for at least six years between my two kids, and that’s the secret about the results. It’s not about money. Parental involvement is what makes a difference at the school.”

Several Virginia organizations have announced their approval of the new policies and Youngkin’s “parents’ rights” approach, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom.

“ADF supports Virginia’s new education policies, which help ensure respect for parental rights and protect children’s mental and physical health,” ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson said in a statement. “Parents are the primary caregivers of their children and are in the best position to know what’s best for their own kids’ education and health care needs.”

However, other Virginia organizations and rights groups have spoken out about the new policies. James Fedderman, president of the Virginia Education Association, released a statement that called the guidelines “simply cruel.”

“If implemented, these policies would no doubt threaten the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ students, open the door for bullying, and set back their recent civil rights gains in Virginia,” Fedderman said. “History will not reflect kindly on this opportunistic and discriminatory decision.”

Brown said she worries about how the policies will impact students who don’t have support for their gender identity from their parents.

“It’s taking the power of discretion away from teachers and administrators,” Brown said. “Particularly if children are feeling safe with a trusted adult at school that they can talk about things that maybe they can’t talk about with their parents.”

She hopes that Henrico Schools will continue to provide the same support to transgender and LGBTQ students that was provided to her son.

“There’s such a stigma with diversity and of course with the current administration, diversity has become an afterthought,” Brown said. “But our county is diverse. That includes LGBTQIA children. It’s not homogeneous any longer.”

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Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Support her work by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.