Transgender Student Chief Topic At Stafford School Board Meeting

STAFFORD, VA—A public outcry about how a Stafford County middle school handled a transgender student last week during an emergency lock-down drill became the primary topic of discussion Tuesday night at a school board meeting.

First-year Stafford County Public Schools superintendent Scott Kizner apologized for the incident, which he blamed on a lack of communication and understanding about how to handle that and similar situations that might pop up in the future. Nearly 100 people attended the meeting, according to WUSA TV, Channel 9.

"We did not live up to my unwavering expectation that every child and adult—regardless of race, religion, color, disability, gender or sexual orientation—is treated with respect and dignity," Kizner said, adding an immediate review of existing policies is in order. "You have to strike while the iron's hot. This is obviously a very important issue."

Late last week on its Facebook page, LGBTQ-rights group Equality Stafford said the student was put in a holding pattern and unable to enter the boys or girls locker room during the drill while teachers tried to figure out where to send her.

"The student was forced to watch the adults charged with her care, debate the safest place (for the other students) to have her shelter," it said. "During this debate, she was instructed to sit in the gym with a teacher until the drill was complete, away from her peers and identified as different.

"After some additional debate, she was made to sit in the locker room hall way, by the door away from her peers. This happened because the child, in addition to being a model student, also happens to be transgender."

Kizner told the Free Lance-Star the teachers didn't act out of malice but more out of uncertainty.

"All I know is we just didn't handle it correctly," he said. ". . .We can't go back in time. I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Image via Stafford County Public Schools