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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights found the policies of five Northern Virginia school divisions regarding sports and locker rooms violated the Title IX requirements in the Education Amendments of 1972.
Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Arlington County, Prince William County and the city of Alexandria were all determined to not be abiding by Title IX provisions, the governor’s office said.
鈥淭he school division policies allow students of the opposite sex access to intimate sex-separated facilities and allow students of the opposite sex to participate in sex-separated sports,鈥� said a release from Youngkin鈥檚 office.
According to the release, 鈥淎ll five jurisdictions found that students in the divisions avoid using school restrooms whenever possible because of the schools鈥� policies; in addition, female students have witnessed male students inappropriately touching other students and watching female students change in a female locker room.鈥�
Youngkin accused the Joe Biden administration of being overly lenient in support of the school divisions鈥� standards.
鈥淭hese school divisions have been violating federal law, deliberately neglecting their responsibility to protect students鈥� safety, privacy and dignity, and ignoring parents鈥� rights,鈥� Youngkin said. 鈥淐ommon sense is back, with biological boys and girls in their own locker rooms and bathrooms, and boys out of girls sports.鈥�
Youngkin went on to cite Title IX violations in Loudoun County, through which he said school officials reprimanded boys who complained that a biological girl was allowed in the boys locker room.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said he is encouraged that the federal government is working to restore 鈥渟anity鈥� in public education.
鈥淚 fought to prevent the Biden administration鈥檚 radical Title IX re-interpretation from being imposed on Virginia鈥檚 public schools,鈥� Miyares said in the release. 鈥淭hose rules would have held federal education dollars hostage and forced Virginia鈥檚 public schools to submit to a radical, harmful, and ideologically driven agenda. Thankfully, we won that battle in court.鈥�
According to the release, the result of the Office for Civil Rights鈥� decision is a three-pronged resolution agreement that requires the five divisions take the following actions:
Rescind the policies and/or regulations which allow students to access intimate facilities based on their “gender identity” rather than their sex;
Issue a memorandum to each division school that any future policies related to access to intimate facilities must be consistent with Title IX by separating students strictly on the basis of sex, and that Title IX ensures women鈥檚 equal opportunity in any education program or activity including athletic programs; and
Adopt biology-based definitions of the words 鈥渕ale鈥� and 鈥渇emale鈥� in all practices and policies relating to Title IX.
In a Friday statement, Prince William County Schools said it 鈥渙nly recently鈥� received the agreement and said it would conduct a 鈥渢horough review鈥� thereof, responding through 鈥渢he proper channels.鈥�
鈥淧WCS remains firmly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for all students and staff,鈥� the statement read. 鈥淥ur policies and practices are guided by our core values and by applicable federal and state laws. We continue to uphold our longstanding nondiscrimination policy, which prohibits discrimination in employment and in the provision of educational programs, services, and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics.鈥�
