Chesapeake School Board to vote on policy restricting staff use of preferred pronouns and personal titles

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The Chesapeake School Board is scheduled to vote Monday on a proposed policy change that would prohibit district employees from asking students and colleagues to refer to them using preferred pronouns that differ from their biological sex. The proposed revision of policy 8-02 states: “Refrain from providing to a student his or her personal title or pronouns if such preferred personal title or pronouns do not correspond to his or her sex.”

The policy change has sparked debate among parents and community members in Chesapeake since the school board first discussed it last month. The agenda item was originally on the consent agenda, but school board member Malia Huddle urged that the item be moved to the action agenda.

Jeremy Rodden, a parent of three children and former