Loudoun County transgender student policy vote expected; public meeting guidelines revised
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - The Loudoun County School Board is expected to vote on its transgender student policy Tuesday and has modified its procedures following arrests made at its previous meeting.
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The school system has been under fire for its new transgender policy proposals and debate over critical race theory curriculum. The June school board meeting ended in uproar and two arrests.
In July, the school board appealed a lower-court injunction that forced the district to reinstate gym teacher Byron Tanner Cross who was suspended after voicing his opposition to the transgender policy change during the June meeting.
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Cross declared that he wouldn't "affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion. It's lying to a child; it's abuse to a child – and it's sinning against our God."
Cross is expected to appear in court this September.
The August 10 meeting is expected to begin at 4 p.m.
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LCPS posted the following revised policy for the meeting online:
On August 10, and for the foreseeable future, the public may expect to experience the following precautions and updated meeting procedures:
Public Comment:
The public may register for in-person or virtual public comment and will also be able to submit written comments, which will be shared with School Board members, in lieu of attending the meeting.
The School Board public comment period will open at 9 a.m. Friday, August 6, and will close at noon on the day of the meeting. The public will be expected to fill out the registration form in full and register only as an individual speaker. Speakers should participate in one method of comment only. If duplication registrations are found, registrants will be contacted to see which method of participation they will use. Virtual speakers will precede in-person speakers.
For those who have not pre-registered, walkup registrations for public comment will be accepted in person at the front of the building until 5 minutes before the start of the meeting. Walk-up speakers will be added to the end of the in-person comment list. Consult Policy 2520 Participation by the Public for details.
One hour prior to the posted start time of the meeting, the list of pre-registered speakers will be posted and visible at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administrative Offices at 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, as well as posted on the school division's website.
When the list of pre-registered speakers is posted, it will list virtual speakers first. Virtual speakers will be heard first, followed by pre-registered, in-person speakers and then additional "walk-up" speakers. Virtual speakers should sign on 15 minutes before the meeting's start time.
What you will see at the LCPS Administrative Offices when you arrive:
Updated safety measures include:
New parking direction for visitors. Follow the signs and the Loudoun County Public Schools' Safety & Security Officer direction.
The public will use the West Entrance as in previous School Board meetings and be admitted to the building in small groups of 10 in order of speaking.
The following items will not be allowed inside the LCPS Administrative building: bags and purses, backpacks, food, sticks or rods of any kind, voice enhancement devices, aerosols, noise-making devices, mace, pepper spray, supports for signs or flags, weapons of any kind.
Only people signed up to speak to the School Board will be allowed to enter the building. For everyone's safety, no public viewing area will be open during the public comment portion of the meeting.
A list of public commenters (speakers) will be posted and visible from the front of the building. Pre-registered speakers should check for their name and order in the speaking lineup.
Pre-registered speakers should line up when there are only 20 speakers ahead of them.
10 speakers at a time will be admitted to the building. Speakers will proceed into the meeting room. The next 10 speakers will be in line just outside the building and will be admitted as a group. The next 10 speakers will be forming a line to enter the building as the second group prepares to enter.
Those speakers not present when their name is called by the School Board Chair have missed their slot and will not be re-called. Public input is always welcomed by the School Board at lcsb@lcps.org.