Fairfax schools adopt updated guidelines to protect transgender students at meeting that drew dueling protests
Hannah Natanson
In a win for transgender students and advocates, Virginia’s largest public school system has adopted guidelines granting children access to restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities and requiring school staffers to address transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns.
The school board of Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a revised version of its “Student Rights and Responsibilities” document, which outlines expectations for student behavior. The new rules also mandate that all students receive “safe and equitable access to all school . . . facilities and activities” and that students have “the right to non-disclosure of gender identity and/or sexual orientation.”