What’s to Hide? School Board Sues to Conceal Transgender Policy

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CBN News

A controversial gender identity policy may lead to the ousting of several school board members in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Judicial Watch, a conservative non-partisan watch group, says there's evidence the policy was implemented before it was voted on and before parents knew about it.

While school board elections generally don't drive voters to the polls, it did this time around.

Last May, school board members voted to include transgender lessons as part of its nondiscrimination policy -- against the will of many parents in the district.

Judicial Watch found out the school district began implementing the policy changes before voting on it earlier this year. The decision was supposedly based on accommodating transgender students.

"Oh, it's clear even in the records we've gotten so far that they were off and running, that this was an objective of theirs, that they were acting on and attempting to line up before any vote was ever taken. They were going to push this through no matter what," Chris Farrell, with Judicial Watch, told CBN News.

CBN News Reporter Charlene Aaron spoke with Chris Farrell of Judicial Watch about the case and what school district is trying to hide. Watch below:

http://www.cbn.com/Chris-Farrell-on-Fairfax-County-Transgend er-Policy/

Pilar Jones, a concerned parent, said, "They're cramming an agenda, their own agenda, down parents' throats. We have no voice; we have a voice and they don't want to listen to us. They've ignored us. So the time has come to change that."

In April, Judicial Watch asked the school board to provide documentation on the controversial gender identity policy under the Freedom of Information Act.

"One of the school board members who wanted to abstain from voting objected because there wasn't enough data, wasn't enough information," Farrell explained. "It hadn't been debated very much. This seems to be something that was directed and propelled out of the Obama administration's federal Department of Education."

The school board delayed turning over the documents and filed a lawsuit against Judicial Watch to prevent their release until after Tuesday's election.

"They went into court and sued Judicial Watch because they know there is a smoking gun in those documents and they don't want parents to know any of that information until after the election," Andrea Lafferty, with Traditional Values Coalition, said.

Parents opposed to the policy say school board officials refused to hear their concerns.

"It has no place in the school system. We have 17 failing schools throughout this county and this is what they're concerned with?" Lauren Appell, another concerned parent, asked. "I have girls and I am deeply concerned with the fact that they want to share bathrooms with transgender kids. That puts my children at risk and I'm not going to allow that."

Fairfax County is the largest school district in Virginia and the tenth largest in the country. Many say what happens here may have a domino effect in school districts across the country.

Source: CBN News