Equality Arlington Urges Arlington Public Schools to Continue Supporting LGBTQ+ Students

Dear Ms. Kadera and Dr. Durán,

In light of reports that the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights has opened an investigation into Arlington Public Schools (APS) for upholding the dignity of transgender students, we would like to thank the Arlington School Board and APS administration for their steadfast support for LGBTQ+ students, especially transgender and nonbinary students, and urge you to stand firm. Recent actions from the Trump administration have caused many LGBTQ+ students to question whether APS will continue to be a safe environment for them. The Trump administration’s release of multiple executive orders including “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” released on February 5th, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” released on January 29th, and “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” released on January 20th are illegal attempts to weaponize the federal government against transgender, gender expansive, and nonbinary adults and young people in contravention of existing laws.

The law is clear—the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has already ruled that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects transgender students’ rights in schools (Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board) and their ability to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity (BPJ v. West Virginia Board of Education). The Virginia High School League’s decision last week to align their policies with the Trump administration is a violation of Title IX. Additionally, the Virginia Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in educational institutions across the Commonwealth.

APS’s Policy Implementation Procedure J-2 PIP-2 (Transgender Students in Schools) is not only good policy, but it is the only legal policy implementation for APS given current case law. We urge the Arlington School Board and APS administration to reaffirm their commitment to the law and support for LGBTQ+ students who have become a punching bag for the rich and powerful in pursuit of political gain. We also urge you to stand up for the rights of transgender athletes and oppose all discriminatory policies from whatever source they may come.

APS has been a model for providing an inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ students so they can focus on developing the social, emotional, and academic skills needed to live a healthy and fulfilling life. At this time, when LGBTQ+ students are scared and coming under attack, your support is more vital than it has ever been and we implore you to continue doing what is right for these students.

Sincerely,

Kellen MacBeth

President, Equality Arlington

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