Fairfax Virginia schools OK plan to punish students who misgender classmates

Originally Published on WashingtonExaminer.com

The Fairfax County School Board approved changes to its student code of conduct on cellphone usage and transgender rights after a long, heated school board meeting Thursday night.

The board passed restrictive cellphone rules and also expanded punishment for students who "misgender" or "deadname" transgender classmates.

In an 8-4 vote, the northern Virginia school board approved changes to its Student Rights and Responsibilities policy that categorized "discriminatory harassment" on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation as "behaviors of safety concern." Violators of the policy could face weekslong suspensions and referrals to local law enforcement.

The "discriminatory harassment" provision was not the primary topic of debate at the Thursday night meeting. Despite a group of parents protesting the change outside the meeting, the board instead discussed at length a separate change to the code of conduct that will severely restrict student use of cellphones…