Chesapeake public speakers, educators and board members clash over proposed pronoun and personal-title policy
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Summary
Public commenters, educators and board members debated proposed policy language limiting use of preferred pronouns and titles; speakers urged respect and warned of harm while some board members signaled support for revisions. The board moved the pronoun-related policy item from consent toward action for further consideration.
Board members heard more than an hour of public comment focused on proposed changes to school district policies governing use of personal titles and pronouns.
John Altore opened remarks with an account of alleged homophobic bullying at a Hickory High volleyball game and criticized the district's response, saying board members had “done nothing to change my opinion.” A retiring naval officer identified as transgender described career consequences after coming out and urged the board to reject policies that would restrict pronoun use. "Transgender people are a naturally occurring human variance," the speaker said, arguing schools should protect students' dignity.
Sydney Garner described encountering media coverage about a proposed policy to limit pronoun use and called the timing during Transgender Awareness Week either intentional or “very tone deaf.” Amber Bomer, president of Pride in the Peak and a licensed school counselor, cited U.S. Department of Education and Virginia Department of Education guidance and said district model policy already addresses parent and guardian roles on name/pronoun matters. "At the heart of this issue, it's not about grammar. It's about respect," Bomer said.
Caitlin Ritnauer, president of the Chesapeake Education Association, read the proposed additions to staff and student conduct language that would restrict staff from providing preferred pronouns or titles that do not match sex assigned at birth and urged the board to vote against the changes, warning they could be "discriminatory and would not hold up in court." The CEA also offered legal assistance to educators who feel targeted by the proposed language.
Board member Malia Huddle said she was uncomfortable with the proposed pronoun policy and asked that the item be moved from the consent agenda to the action agenda so the board could debate it directly. Vice chair Kim Scott said in board remarks she believes "coexistence and respect for everyone is possible" but that she will vote to update the policy; she also asked for mutual respect among all parties.
The board did not adopt new pronoun rules during this meeting. Staff had presented proposed revisions to several policies (including policy 8-02 and policy 9-20) and Huddle formally requested the pronoun-related item be considered on the action agenda at a future meeting. No final policy vote was recorded in the transcript.
Next steps: the board moved the pronoun-related item toward action consideration; if scheduled for a future action meeting, formal debate and any vote will be recorded then.