Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) responded to a Virginia school district that announced it would not use the new model policy set by Virginia’s Education Department. He said it was the law, and the district “doesn’t have a say” in the matter.

Prince William County Public Schools released a statement this week that stated that they would continue to use an older policy which addressed the “rights” of transgender students and gender nonconforming students because it was “consistent both with federal and state antidiscrimination legislation.”

According to The Washington Post, the VDOE’s model policy for 2021 allows transgender students access to bathrooms and school facilities that match their gender identity. Teachers are also required to use the students’ preferred gender pronouns.

Updated 2023 model policy would require that students use bathrooms, lockers and other facilities according to their assigned sex at birth. Teachers would be prohibited from using a student’s name or pronoun other than the one assigned at birth unless they have notified the parents and they request the change.

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“The law is clear: I must issue model policies, and local school districts must adopt policies that are consistent with those model policies. Youngkin, who appeared on “The Story” Monday, said: “I would also add that this is just common sense.”

“We say very clearly that parents are responsible for their children’s life. The children don’t belong in the hands of the state. They belong to their parents and families. The child will make the final decision with his or her parent and not a bureaucrat.

He said that parents should be the final authority in a variety of school matters, such as whether or not their child should wear an eye mask to school or whether sexually explicit materials should be removed.

Youngkin told Martha MacCallum, anchor of the ABC News program “Martha MacCallum’s World”, that not only Republicans are pushing for education rights.

He explained that “these are parents who are angry that the old policies, which pushed parents away from their children’s lives, did not ensure the dignity, safety and privacy of all families and children.” “And we saw this in Loudoun County where it was a real groundswell. This is the birthplace of the parents’ movement. We’re now seeing it in Fairfax County, among others. It’s a moment for parents, not politics. They will comply with the law, and stop thinking they know better than parents.”

PWCS stated that it was “committed” to creating a welcoming and safe environment, as well as serving our students, their families and the community in an educational capacity.

Parents and guardians play a vital role in the education of their children. PWCS has worked with families to provide a positive and safe academic environment that is tailored to each student’s needs. The statement said that sensitive situations will be handled on a case by case basis, with safety as the priority.