Va. Top High Schools, Transgender Bathroom Ruling, Ben and Jerry Arrested: News Nearby

Patch has 32 sites in communities in Va. and D.C. Here are some of the top posts from the past 24 hours.

Federal Court Throws Out Transgender Bathroom Rule

A federal appeals court has thrown out a rule at a Virginia high school that bars transgender students from using the boys' restrooms -- and the decision could have huge implications for the nationwide debate over the issue.

The three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the policy, enacted by the Gloucester County School Board in Southeast Virginia, was discriminatory, according to the decision released April 19. >>> Read more.

25 Top Virginia High Schools: U.S. News Rankings

U.S. News and World Report has released its rankings of 21,000 public high schools across the country, again placing some Northern Virginia schools among the best educations that America has to offer.

This is the first year that the rankings include graduation rates. Overall, Virginia ranked 12th in a ranking of states with nationally-ranked high schools. >>> Read more

More: Fairfax County Public School #5 in Nation

Ben and Jerry Get Arrested at U.S. Capitol

The two founders of Ben and Jerry's ice cream are no strangers to making political statements -- and this week, they were willing to go to jail for it by protesting at the U.S. Capitol.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were among hundreds to be arrested at a protest April 18 aimed at reducing the influence of corporate money in politics, as well as to support a hearing for President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, according to the group Democracy Awakening, which organized the event. >>> Read more.

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