Arlington schools defy Trump transgender order despite federal funding threat

FIRST ON FOX: The well being and bodily schooling regulator for Arlington Public Faculties (APS) in Virginia mentioned the varsity system is permitting college students to have interaction in actions and use amenities and restrooms primarily based on the gender with which they determine, regardless of President Donald Trump’s govt order and the Division of Training’s interpretation of gender id in elementary colleges.

Chris Willmore, supervisor of well being, bodily schooling, driver coaching and athletics at APS, was heard making the assertion on a hidden digicam filmed in October by the Accuracy in Media group.

“Proper now, Arlington is following what our interpretation of Title IX is and which means college students are taking part within the actions of the gender they determine with,” Willmore mentioned within the clip. “Additionally they have entry to the amenities of the gender they determine with. Nevertheless, we’re in a authorized state of affairs with the federal Ministry of Training … about that.”

“There are 5 faculty divisions in Northern Virginia that refuse to observe the federal Division of Training’s interpretation.”

Arlington Public Faculty’s well being supervisor admitted that the district “permits college students to make use of amenities of the gender with which they determine,” overtly defying President Trump’s govt order and Division of Training directive on gender id. (Accuracy in media)

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The assertion comes after Richard Cox, a registered Degree III intercourse offender, was charged in late 2024 with exposing himself in girls’s amenities on APS property.

Cox, who identifies as transgender, was charged with 12 counts of being a intercourse offender round youngsters for loitering inside 100 toes of college grounds, three counts of getting into a faculty/daycare heart, 4 counts of indecent publicity, two counts of taking indecent liberties with youngsters, and one rely of id theft, Arlington police mentioned. as reported by ABC7.

“Arlington Public Faculties’ present transgender scholar coverage is in keeping with state and federal regulation, together with the Virginia Values ​​Act, and is supported by latest courtroom selections affirming protections for scholar restroom entry,” Frank Bellavia, APS director of communications, informed Fox Information Digital.

President Donald Trump’s govt order in January has led to a number of lawsuits between APS and the Division of Training. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures)

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“Whereas the U.S. District Courtroom dismissed APS’s preliminary grievance on jurisdictional grounds, the decide explicitly acknowledged the Grimm case, during which college students’ restroom entry in keeping with their gender id is protected beneath Title IX ‘stays the regulation of this Circuit’ and any try by APS to alter its coverage would violate each state and federal regulation,” Bellavia added. “We stay dedicated to creating insurance policies that guarantee all college students can be taught in an inclusive setting.”

Trump’s January govt order outlined the administration’s official place on the difficulty and has since led to a number of lawsuits between APS and the Division of Training.

In August, APS filed lawsuits within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Japanese District of Virginia, hoping to take away their “excessive threat” designation, which was jeopardizing their funding.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Training Linda McMahon. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures)

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In September, Choose Rossie D. Alston Jr. the US courtroom dismissed the case as a result of it didn’t fall inside the courtroom’s jurisdiction and needed to be filed elsewhere.

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Alston had additionally beforehand denied a request from APS that will stop the freeze of federal funds whereas the case was pending.

“Throughout the nation, ideologues who deny the organic actuality of intercourse have more and more used authorized and different socially coercive means to allow males to determine themselves as girls and entry intimate intercourse areas and actions designed for ladies, from girls’s home violence shelters to girls’s office showers.” Trump’s January executive order reads. “That is incorrect.”

Fox Information Digital reached out to Willmore however didn’t obtain a response.

Preston Mizell is a breaking information author at Fox Information Digital. Story ideas might be despatched to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and at X @MizellPreston