Federal Title IX deadline looms for Alexandria schools today
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is navigating a challenging situation, joining four other Northern Virginia districts in the midst of competing pressures from federal authorities demanding policy changes and local communities supporting inclusive policies for transgender students.
The U.S. Department of Education has given ACPS until August 15 to comply with policy changes or face potential consequences, including the loss of federal funding and possible legal action. This development follows a months-long federal investigation that concluded in July, finding that Alexandria violated Title IX.
The Office for Civil Rights concluded that ACPS's policy providing facility access based on "gender identity" violates Title IX civil rights law. The department has asked ACPS to rescind policies allowing facility access based on "gender identity," require future policies to separate students strictly on the basis of sex, and adopt "biology-based definitions" of male and female in Title IX policies.
However, ACPS has rejected federal demands to change its transgender policies. The district's "Nondiscrimination in Education" policy, which was found to provide access for all students to facilities that correspond to a student's gender identity, has been upheld. If students are uncomfortable sharing facilities with someone of the opposite sex, they can access a "single user" facility provided they "minimize lost instructional time."
The current investigation stems from a February complaint filed by America First Legal, a conservative legal group. The complaint alleged that Northern Virginia districts were giving transgender students "greater rights" regarding facility access.
Other Northern Virginia districts are taking public positions on the federal demands while Alexandria is yet to announce its decision. Loudoun County School Board has voted not to comply with the Education Department's request to sign a resolution agreement. Fairfax County and Arlington County school systems have received the federal demands but have not yet announced their decisions.
Prince William County's school board met with legal counsel regarding the proposed resolution agreement, but has not announced further action. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin claimed that female students have witnessed male students inappropriately touching other students and watching female students change in a female locker room.
City Council member Kirk McPike previously vowed that Alexandria would stand with transgender students and their families. This is a developing story, and ALXnow will continue to monitor Alexandria City Public Schools' response to the federal deadline.
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