FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA—Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears called out her opponents’ silence after a Fairfax County, Virginia, high school allowed a boy to use the girls’ locker room in violation of federal law. Earle-Sears vowed to uphold federal Title IX law and protect students if elected governor.
The Republican nominee spoke to reporters outside the county school board meeting Thursday night, calling her opponent, Democrat gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, “dangerous” to students and parents. She criticized Spanberger’s voting record, noting that while she was a member of Congress, she voted against the Parents Bill of Rights Act in 2023, which requires parental consent before a school can assist in a child “socially transitioning” to another gender.
Earle-Sears called out Spanberger for avoiding directly answering questions on transgender policy. “You,” Sears said pointing to the media, “have allowed her to get away with a ‘word salad’” on the topic.
Sears described her own view as common sense, calling for students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their actual sex to ensure privacy.
The Defense of Freedom Institute, a legal nonprofit, filed a civil rights complaint to the U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday after the school in question, West Springfield High School, allowed a boy to use the girls’ locker room.
Fairfax County Public Schools released a statement saying it was aware the school was breaking federal law but had not received a complaint from the Department of Education. “School staff are aware of the situation and have been addressing the concerns by working with the students and their respective families,” the statement said. Because of student confidentiality, the school system said it could not comment further at this time.
While the three Democrat statewide candidates in Virginia have remained silent on this issue on social media, the Republican candidates respond quickly. “How sick,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares in a post on X. “The safety, dignity, and privacy of every student in Virginia should be non-negotiable.”
John Reid, Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, said he will do everything he can to “restore basic decency and sanity to this state and our schools.”
The Earle-Sears campaign told The Daily Signal, “Title IX was written to protect opportunities for women and girls, and as governor, Winsome Earle-Sears will uphold it to ensure fairness, safety, and dignity in education and athletics. She will fight to make sure our daughters are not pushed aside by extremist political agendas and that every young woman in Virginia has the chance to learn, compete, and succeed on a level playing field.”
In a related story, the U.S. Department of Education announced Monday afternoon an investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools for reportedly providing resources for and helping students to receive abortions.
The Daily Signal reached out to the Spanberger campaign for comment but hasn’t received one as of publication time.
Related posts:
- Virginia Schools Face Ultimatum Over Transgender Policies
- ‘RACIST AND ABHORRENT’: Spanberger Condemns Sign Comparing Black Republican’s Stance on Trans Bathrooms to Segregation
- WATCH: Here’s What 3 Boys Said About a Girl in the Boys’ Locker Room. Does This Violate Title IX?