Following a lengthy discussion Tuesday night, Mathews County School Board approved a policy addressing transgender students, a policy based on recommendations from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration.
The board approved the policy “On Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools” by a 4-1 margin during the meeting, which was held in the Brooks Auditorium at Thomas Hunter Middle School.
The policy addresses such things as the use of pronouns in addressing the student, the use of sex-segregated facilities (such as bathrooms and locker rooms), and participation in athletic programs or activities that are separated by sex.
School board member Linda Hodges, who cast the lone nay vote, questioned the turnaround from the previous governor’s policy directives and wondered if the division would have to adopt another set of policies when the next administration takes office. Instead, she suggested, the board should “select solid policies regar...