Overview

• The U.S. Department of Education labeled five Northern Virginia districts "high risk," moving their federal grants to reimbursement status and citing added scrutiny for alleged Title IX violations, according to Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
• Arlington County's school board reaffirmed its policy allowing students to use facilities that align with their gender identity, with Chair Bethany Zecher Sutton saying the division will continue to uphold and defend it.
• Republican contenders, including Winsome Earle-Sears, lieutenant governor hopeful John Reid, and Attorney General Jason Miyares, voiced support for parents objecting to the policies and criticized how schools handled complaints.
• Democratic responses were limited, though gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger emphasized student safety and protecting public school funding in comments provided to Fox News.
• At a recent Arlington board meeting, parent Jen McDougal said her 9-year-old encountered a naked transgender-identifying registered sex offender in a school locker room, and separate reports of two male students suspended after complaining about locker room access have intensified disputes.