Levi M. (he/him) – PFLAG Chapter Secretary
Much has happened since our last update regarding the discriminatory anti-transgender policy that was proposed and introduced by school board member Gloria Carlineo at the January 11, 2024 school board meeting.
There have been two regular school board meetings and two work sessions that have taken place since. In that time, Carlineo proposed a revised version of her initial policy and then ultimately withdrew hers when school board member Michael Rickard introduced his own version of the policy. Rickard’s policy even more narrowly outlines restrictions and requirements for transgender students than Carlineo’s revised version. Below is one example taken directly from his proposed policy:
Shenandoah County Public Schools, with the approval of the School Board on a case-by-case basis, shall change the legal name or sex designation in a student or former student’s official record only if a parent (or eligible student) certifies that status by submitting for approval: (a) a legal document, such as a birth certificate, state- or federal-issued identification, passport, or court order substantiating the student or former student’s change of legal name or sex designation; and, in the care of changing a student’s sex designation, (b) an official medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria by a licensed health care provider; and (c) substantiated evidence that the student’s gender identity has been both persistent and consistent over time.
This provision makes it very difficult for a student to get their name or sex changed in their official records even with parental permission. There must be legal documents submitted, a medical diagnosis, and “evidence” that the student’s gender identity has been persistent and consistent over time. In a rural community, access to resources, including gender-affirming healthcare, is difficult because it requires time, money, and travel. This disadvantages students/parents who do not have the financial means to make this a reality.
Here is another example:
Notwithstanding the provisions (2) and (3) of this section, Shenandoah County Public School personnel shall refer to a student by a name other than the one in the student’s official record, or by pronouns other than those appropriate to the sex recorded in the student’s official record, only if the student has been officially designated a gender different from his or her sex pursuant to Section III.C.2, and the eligible student or the student’s parent instructs the school division in writing that such other name or pronoun be used.
This section confirms that even with written parental permission, a student cannot have their name or gender markers changed without following all of the requirements set forth in the first example quoted.
The discriminatory nature of the policy extends beyond the examples listed here. They would put the school board in violation of state and federal law and open our county up to possible litigation. The school board will be voting on this policy at the April 11th, 2024 meeting. The closed session begins at 6:30pm and the public meeting begins at 7:00pm. Please consider attending and speaking at this meeting to help us show them how not only wrong this policy is for our students, but also how downright dangerous it is. Please also consider emailing the school board members as well. Their contact information can be found here: Shenandoah County School Board.
To read this policy proposed by Rickard, you can find it here:
The Rainbow Blog 