We want our students to feel safe everywhere.

If a transgender or gender non-conforming student were to come out to a teacher or a counselor at school in Prince William County Schools, according to current PWCS policy, the next step would be for the school system to set up a meeting to:

1. Out the student to their parents

2. Seek parental permission to call student by their updated name and pronouns at school.

According to current PWCS policy, using a transgender or gender non-conforming student's name and pronouns is considered an "accommodation" instead of just best practice.

According to the current VDOE Guidance: "...privacy and confidentiality are critical for transgender students who do not have supportive families. Disclosing a student’s gender identity can pose imminent safety risks, such as losing family support or housing. According to a recent study, LGBT youth have a 120 percent increased risk of experiencing homelessness compared to youth who identified as heterosexual and cisgender (Morton, Dworsky, & Samuels, 2017). School divisions will need to consider the health and safety of the student in situations where students may not want their parents to know about their gender identity, and schools should address this on a case-by-case basis. If a student is not ready or able to safely share with their family about their gender identity, this should be respected. There are no regulations requiring school staff to notify a parent or guardian of a student’s request to affirm their gender identity, and school staff should work with students to help them share the information with their family when they are ready to do so."

PWCS, please align our Policies for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students with the VDOE guidelines.