On May 31, Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) held a Zoom forum called, Community Information Session on Transgender/Gender-Expansive Policy & Supports.
During the Q & A session, a meeting participant asked about policies and legalities regarding parental involvement in student gender-transitioning; in essence, what happens when a child wants to “transition”?
A visibly nervous Miles Nelson (he/him), ACPS Coordinator on Mental Health and Wellness, fielded the question with great trepidation. Ultimately, Nelson stammeringly concluded that parents must be “looped-in” when a boy or girl expresses desire to “transition.”
Notably, Mr. Nelson did not state that parents are to be consulted or deferred-to in such instances, only that they be notified of the child’s transitory proclivity.
Where are these school administrators going to be two or three years down the road when a child who claimed that they were “trans” realizes now that they are no such thing? Clearly, they will be nowhere to be found. It will be left up to the parents to fix the problem created by these administrators. The arrogance of school administrators knows no bounds.
His response is not consistent with what the actual policy states. The policy states that “in some cases gender expensive students may not want their parents to know about their gender expensive or transitioning status. These situations must be addressed on a case by case basis and will require schools to balance the goal of supporting the student with the requirement that parents be kept informed about their children. The most important consideration in such situations is the physical and mental health and safety of the student”.