Lawsuits ask courts to overturn Virginia’s new policies on the treatment of transgender students

By DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The ACLU of Virginia is suing the state Department of Education to challenge Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policies on the treatment of transgender students. Two lawsuits filed Thursday ask the courts to set aside Youngkin’s policies, which roll back many accommodations for transgender students urged by the previous Democratic administration. They allow teachers and students to refer to a transgender student by the name and pronouns associated with their sex assigned at birth. Youngkin has said the new policies are aimed at giving parents a greater say in how their children are treated at school. But opponents argue that the policies violate the law by codifying discrimination against transgender students.