RICHMOND, Va. – In response to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares' filing of an amicus brief in Parents Protecting Our Children v. Eau Claire Area School District et al., ACLU of Virginia Policy and Legislative Counsel Breanna Diaz released the following statement:
“It’s no surprise that Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares would throw his support behind parents attempting to sue Wisconsin public schools for implementing gender-affirming policies for their students. After all, he also threw the support of his office behind anti-trans model policies that the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) rolled out in 2023 against the vocal opposition of thousands of Virginia parents.
“But unlike the parents in the Wisconsin suit in which Miyares filed an amicus brief – whom the Seventh Circuit has already ruled did not experience any actual injury from the public schools their children attend – transgender and nonbinary students in districts that have implemented VDOE’s model policies have experienced real harm and actual discrimination.
“The reality is that what a few parents want doesn’t always match school policies designed to accommodate all families. Parents who opt for public schools are signing up for a system that must serve entire communities, and although parents can opt out of public schools by choosing private schools or homeschooling, they can’t remake public schools to match their individual preferences.
“It’s the job of adults to put kids first, and the job of public schools everywhere to affirm their students. Virginia’s leaders should focus on making Virginia schools safe for students of all gender identities, starting by rescinding the policies that have already harmed so many Virginia families.”
