VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin praised a lawsuit filed by two parents who want the Virginia Beach School Board to adopt his administration's controversial new policies on transgender students, including one requiring school divisions to disclose information about a student's gender to their parents.
The lawsuit argues that Virginia school boards have to adopt the Youngkin administration's policies, which roll back many accommodations for transgender students urged by the previous governor, Democrat Ralph Northam. It was filed by the conservative-leaning Cooper and Kirk law firm on behalf of the two parents, the Associated Press reports.
Youngkin weighed in on the lawsuit during a visit to Virginia Beach Monday afternoon, a month after a vote by the Virginia Beach School Board to adopt the policies failed 5-5.
“I'm proud of them for standing up for their children and for kids," Youngkin told 13News Now. "I support them, and as you know, I firmly believe that there is no other decision for school boards than to adopt the model policies or policies consistent with the model policy."
The policies, which were finalized in July, require students to use their assigned sex for bathrooms and school activities; written instruction from parents for a student to use names or gender pronouns that differ from the student's official record; and school divisions to disclose information about a student's gender to their parents, except when laws prohibiting the disclosure of information to parents apply.
Under a Virginia law signed by Northam in 2020, the Virginia Department of Education is required to develop model policies for transgender students, which school divisions can either adopt consistent with or more comprehensive than the model. The law outlines that the policies should ensure compliance with nondiscrimination laws, maintenance of a safe and supportive learning environment, and prevention of bullying and harassment.
Both Youngkin and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares have argued that school boards are legally required to adopt the policies, but several school systems have declined to adopt them. LGBTQ advocates and organizations have criticized the policies over language they say is discriminatory against transgender youth.
Miyares issued a nonbinding legal opinion at the request of Youngkin, stating his belief that the model policies don't violate the U.S. Constitution, Title IX, and the Virginia Human Rights Act.
"Attorney General Miyares came out with a very very clear opinion that this is the law and this is what school boards need to do," Youngkin told 13News Now.
Since the Virginia Beach School Board's vote failed in August, members passed a policy amendment that prohibits any discrimination, harassment and bullying based on a person's race, sexual orientation and gender identity, among other things. The school board will once again consider the Youngkin administration's model policies Tuesday night in a special meeting.
RELATED: Virginia Beach School Board holds special meeting as parents sue over transgender student policies
Ahead of the Tuesday night meeting, the Transgender Assistance Program of Virginia encouraged people to advocate for transgender students.
“We’ve heard from teachers who said regardless of what these policies are, they are not going to out their students to their parents and they are going to use correct pronouns,” De Sube, the chair of the Transgender Assistance Program of Virginia, said. “They don’t care what the policy is, they are just going to take care of the kids. Again, isn’t that what it’s all about is taking care of the kids?”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.