Prominent conservatives reacted with outrage over a report that Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) in Virginia suspended two students who were recorded by a transgender student they confronted in the boys’ locker room.
A spokesperson for LCPS told Newsweek that “it is the general practice of LCPS not to publicly discuss private student matters” but that the “division has a comprehensive and objective process for Title IX investigations.”
“At no time would LCPS suspend a student simply because they express discomfort,” the spokesperson said. “A reading of our Title IX resources should make it clear that there is a high bar to launch a Title IX investigation and an even higher bar to determine a student is in violation of Title IX.”
The district’s Title IX policy says: “Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is committed to providing a safe and inclusive educational environment for all students, employees, and community members. In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, LCPS prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment and assault, in its educational programs and activities. LCPS does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities.”
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Why It Matters
The incident reflects the divide in the major culture war battle over transgender rights.
Americans hold complex views on gender and sexual orientation issues. While many polls show that acceptance for LGBTQ+ rights has generally increased over the past 20 years, many LGBTQ+ advocates have warned about a backsliding in acceptance of the transgender community.
The Department of Education said on Friday it would pull funding from some Virginia school districts over their policies on transgender students, according to The Washington Post.
What To Know
Loudoun County-based news station WJLA reported on Monday that Loudoun County Public Schools suspended two boys who confronted a transgender student in the locker room. They were recorded asking why there was a girl in the school’s boys’ locker room in reference to a transgender boy, the station reported.
The video sparked an investigation from LCPS over potential Title IX violations.
The boys’ families’ attorney, Josh Hetzler, told WJLA that the investigation has concluded with a 10-day suspension and no-contact order with the complainant. They will also meet with school administrators to determine a corrective action plan, the station reported.
The decision sparked rebuke from many conservatives, including Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Justice Department.
“This is very wrong — and it WILL NOT STAND !” she wrote on X.
The Virginia College Republicans in a post to X accused the school system of “punishing the BOYS for not liking that a GIRL was using their locker room.”
A YouGov poll from 2024 found that a majority of American oppose “allowing transgender people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity.” Fifty percent said they opposed the policy, while 31 percent supported it. It surveyed 2,000 adults from January 23-26, 2024, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
A KFF survey of transgender Americans found that 41 percent reported being harassed or feeling unsafe inside a restroom or locker room. It polled 515 adults who identify as transgender from November 10-December 1, 2022.
What People Are Saying
Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, on X: “For all the moms and dads out there, let me say what you’re thinking: This is not normal. It is not normal to force boys and girls to share locker rooms. It is not normal to punish kids for their fears. All parents want is a little normalcy. That’s what I’m fighting for.”
Conservative attorney and commentator Marina Medvin, on X: “Virginia: Loudoun County Public School punished two boys for voicing their discomfort with having a girl use the boys locker room and video record them on her phone, suspending them at the start of the new school year.”
Eric Daugherty, assistant news director for Florida Voice News, on X: “REINSTATE the boys and REMOVE the girl from the boys’ locker room. This is absolutely absurd.”
Tumay Harding, a Republican Virginia state Senate candidate, on X: “It’s an insult to common sense for these boy’s to be found guilty and suspended. LCPS has weaponized their Title IX office to enforce the radical and unconstitutional Policy 8040. This fight isn’t over.”
Journalist Erin Reed defended Virginia school district’s policy on transgender students in a Substack post: “Despite facing serious federal threats, these Virginia school districts are doing what some of the nation’s most prestigious universities and hospital systems have refused to: standing up for the transgender individuals in their care.”
Fairfax County School Board Member Karl Frisch, in an August 15 Facebook post on gender policies: “As a school board member, I cannot sit idly by while adults who should know better try to pit one group of students against another. Our responsibility is to ensure that every child—including those who are transgender or gender nonconforming—has an opportunity to achieve their full, unique, and limitless potential.
“We can and must meet the needs of all students without undermining the dignity or rights of any of them. That includes ensuring they have full and equal access to all the incredible academic and enrichment opportunities we offer. To uphold our shared values of equity, dignity, and respect for all students, we owe them nothing less.”
Threads user Vince Giglotti: “They are going to make this a national issue because there is an election for governor in November and Loudoun is a large swing county that might determine the election. The GOP candidate is a train wreck. So they’re going to turn this into a referendum on trans bathrooms because that’s their only shot at winning.”
What Happens Next
Loudoun County Public Schools has faced investigation over the situation by Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican. The ongoing debate about the inclusion of transgender individuals in gender-segregated spaces will likely remain a major political issue.