CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — The Chesapeake School Board has not adopted policies to protect transgender students, despite a state law requiring policies to be in place by the start of the school year.
The board did not even vote on the proposed policies at a meeting Monday night, news outlets report. Board member Dr. Patricia King moved to consider the policies, but her motion failed because no one seconded it.
“We have had the opportunity to discuss amongst ourselves and we have determined that we will not take any action at this time,” Chairwoman Victoria Proffitt said after the motion failed.
State law requires school boards to pass policies to protect students who don’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth by the start of the school year, but Chesapeake is the second city in Hampton Roads that has declined to adopt them. Newport News rejected the policies last week, but after an outcry from parents, advocates and elected officials, the board has since called a special meeting to reconsider.