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By the Way, What Is Virginia Tech’s View on Parental Rights?

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

Catherine Cotrupi

Virginia Tech’s interim dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has been accused of violating Tech’s email policy by forwarding a message that slammed local conservative school board candidates as “hateful,” according to The Daily Signal. In responding to an email sent to her Tech account blasting the local candidates for their “anti-trans” and “anti-woke” outlook, Catherine Cotrupi forwarded the email with the notation, “Sharing in case you’re interested.” One of the school board candidates is contemplating a lawsuit.

Undoubtedly, Cotrupi deserves a hand slapping, but it’s not as if she originated the email chain. One can interpret her action as careless, not a commandeering of state resources to advance a political agenda. Of far greater concern is her implicit endorsement of the representations in the email, which is indicative of a mindset that informs her DEI work at Tech.

The local school board candidates, it appears from the Daily Signal article, are guilty of the cardinal sin of supporting Governor Glenn Youngkin’s “Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students,” upholding parental rights in transgender issues at public K-12 schools. One wonders if Cotrupi believes Virginia Tech parents have any right to be informed of, or involved in, life-altering decisions — hormone therapy, surgery, etc. — made by their children with the university’s knowledge and consent.

Reminder: Virginia Tech is being sued for free-speech violations for its use of a bias reporting system.

— JAB

Correction: The original version of this post featured an incorrect photo of Cotrupi. The photo was of school board candidate Lindsay Rich, who is contemplating suing Cotrupi.

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42 responses to “By the Way, What Is Virginia Tech’s View on Parental Rights?”

  1. Thomas Carter Avatar
    Thomas Carter

    JAB,

    The picture in your post is School board candidate Lindsay Rich, not Catherine Cotrupi. See the caption in the Daily Signal article.

    Cotrupi’s picture is here – https://graduateschool.vt.edu/diversity/disp-who-we-are.html.

    TC

    1. James A. Bacon Avatar
      James A. Bacon

      Whoah! Thanks for the tip. Correction made.

  2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    “One wonders if Cotrupi believes Virginia Tech parents have any right to be informed of, or involved in, life-altering decisions — hormone therapy, surgery, etc. — made by their children with the university’s knowledge and consent.”

    If they are 18 (which by far the majority of college students are), according to Youngkin’s policy, they don’t.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      They don’t think about things like that. One minute they’re adults, and the next they’re children. Whatever the Conservatives need when exploiting children,… or adults as the case may be.

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        It is the left who are more guilty of that than the right.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Yeah, and 21-year old Monica Lewenski was just a child to the left.

          1. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            The hypocrisy on the left regarding Monica Lewinski was not her age, it was their willingness to ignore a situation in which a powerful man/boss enters into a sexual relationship with a low-level female underling.

            When corporate executives do that kind of thing it is decried by NOW and other feminist organizations as sexist, misogynistic and wrong, and they issue calls for his ouster.

            NOW and other similar organizations were essentially silent on the issue when Clinton did it, answer most democrats – at least until they started defending his actions.

          2. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            I was being sarcastic. It was Hastert who called her a child, but then for Denny, she would have still been a she. Now I’m being sardonic.

  3. Nathan Avatar
    Nathan

    Having worked in higher education for over 20 years, it has been my experience that administrators are extremely wary of sharing even the most critical information about students with parents for fear of losing federal funding do to FERPA privacy requirements.

    This became a national issue after the Virginia Tech shooting, but I doubt much has changed since then. Additionally, the issue is much larger than gender transition, as it touches upon many self-destructive behaviors that students may exhibit, but are not disclosed to parents.

    The report linked below is very good, and outlines the problems at Virginia Tech and some additional related history. Here’s a sample:

    “The Virginia Tech Report found it most significant that Cho’s parents and suitemates were never told that Cho was “temporarily detained, [subject to] a commitment hearing for involuntary admission to a hospital, and found a danger to himself” by a licensed clinical social worker.237 A student’s involuntary commitment to a mental health hospital because that student expresses suicidal ideation is exactly the type of situation that should trigger FERPA’s emergency
    exception.238 In Cho’s case, the emergency exception was not invoked and the lack of information sharing about his dangerous behavior prevented effective intervention, which is best achieved through the collaboration of family members, school officials, medical and mental health professionals and law enforcement officials. The Virginia Tech Report concluded that privacy laws and court decisions fail to define the boundaries of the emergency exception, and that university policies may discourage disclosure of student threats “in all but the most obvious cases.”

    https://www.bu.edu/pilj/files/2015/09/18-2ChapmanNote.pdf

  4. Teddy007 Avatar
    Teddy007

    Treating being trans or homosexual as akin to a disease that one can get from exposure is foolishness. But it a very potent political weapon in 2023 and beyond.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      It’s genetics. It just takes 10 to 12 years to show up.

      The Conservatives like to go with nurture over nature because it allows them to gawk.

      1. Teddy007 Avatar
        Teddy007

        Conservatives like to go with nurture for sexual behavior but nature for intelligence. It makes no sense.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Because they know all they’re ever gonna know after the 15 weeks they want for a ban.

  5. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    Most of the students at Virginia Tech are adults. The parental rights issues at colleges are quite different from those in K-12 schools.

    They are different enough that I’m not sure why an official at Virginia Tech would want to involve themselves in school board races at K-12 public school systems. Unless they have a child or children in a particular K-12 public school system, of course, but in that case they should keep their private involvement in school board issues separate from their job.

    1. Teddy007 Avatar
      Teddy007

      A university like Virginia Tech has to attract talent to come to rural Virginia to teach. If the local school board are Trumpist who want to treat homosexuals and trans people as infectious, then attracting that talent gets harder for VT.

      1. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        Please reread Jim Bacon’s article.

        To wit:

        “The local school board candidates, it appears from the Daily Signal article, are guilty of the cardinal sin of supporting Governor Glenn Youngkin’s “Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students,” upholding parental rights in transgender issues at public K-12 schools.”

    2. James A. Bacon Avatar
      James A. Bacon

      Yes, K-12 and college-level parental rights issues are different… but similar. While children may be legally independent at 18 (or 21, depending on context), they are not in fact independent. Many are highly dependent upon their parents financially and emotionally.

      Is in loco parentis a dead doctrine? Do colleges have any responsibilities to parents? Are parents expected to fork over $25,000 to $30,000 a year… but otherwise keep their noses out of their kids’ business?

      You might believe that, but I expect a lot of parents would disagree.

      1. Nathan Avatar
        Nathan

        Mr. Bacon

        I don’t necessarily agree with all aspects of FERPA, but that’s an obstacle for any disclosure to parents of students in post secondary education without the consent of the student.

        As you know, the federal government has no authority over state and local education except the ability to withhold federal funding. As such, it is my understanding that FERPA violations are not criminal, but could result in loss of federal funds.

      2. Nathan Avatar
        Nathan

        Parents Rights under FERPA

        Parents lose rights under FERPA when their child turns 18 years of age or starts attending classes in any postsecondary institution, whichever happens first.

        Under 20 USC 1232g(d), all rights of parents, including the right to inspect educational records and to consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information, transfers to the student at the earlier of: 1) the attainment of age 18, or 2) attendance at an institution of postsecondary education.

        Parents of a financially dependent student, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), may obtain their child’s records after submitting proof of the student’s dependency via the most recent federal tax form. Requested information will not be released prior to the submission of this documentation.

        Students can authorize the release of their education information to a parent, spouse, or other third party by completing an Information Release Form (PDF).

        Faculty and staff need to be very careful when a parent calls and asks for information about a student. If there is not a Student Information Release form on file, the parent cannot identify the PIN number assigned by the student, or proof of financial dependency has not been established, disclosure – even to a parent – is unlawful.

        https://www.virginiawestern.edu/get-started/records/right-to-privacy/#:~:text=Parents%20Rights%20under%20FERPA,postsecondary%20institution%2C%20whichever%20happens%20first.

      3. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        I have always been grateful that my parents pretty much left me to my own devices once I went away to college.

        As far as I am concerned, they were the perfect “college parents”. They were there if I needed them for any serious issues I encountered, but they did not offer advice unless asked, and they did not insert themselves into every little hiccup or hurdle I ran into.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Beat having to find a bail bondsman.

        2. Nathan Avatar
          Nathan

          I worked at a private college that did not accept federal funding. Parents were almost always contacted whenever there were problems the parents might need to be aware of.

          College age students on a path of self destruction often require help that can only come from family. This is particularly true for suicidal behavior.

          Modern suicide prevention theory provides that the involvement of family members is a key step to lower the risk of students causing harm to themselves or to others.204 Studies that show that family involvement helps prevent student violence support an explicit trigger of FERPA’s emergency exception in the event a student threatens suicide on campus. Further, some recent case law notably Shin v. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, suggests that courts are now more willing to hold that universities should address suicidal ideation by disclosing it to third parties, like parents, before it results in violence to self or others.

          https://www.bu.edu/pilj/files/2015/09/18-2ChapmanNote.pdf

          1. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            I guess none of the trouble I got into rose to the level of Mom and Dad needing to be aware of it.

            I don’t think any Virginia Tech official contacted my parents about anything (apart fund raising pleas) the entire time I was there.

          2. Nathan Avatar
            Nathan

            Some things haven’t changed. My son graduated this past year and fund raising is still top priority.

          3. Not Today Avatar
            Not Today

            So it SHOULD be. If you haven’t established a good enough relationship with your kids (to include obtaining POAs in case of emergency), do your ADULT children want you involved or nah? They are legal adults and control the release of their info. Parents’ rights ends at 18.

          4. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            I think suicide/murder prevention trumps privacy concerns since Ted Kazynski, Aurora CO, and the Va Tech incident.

          5. Nathan Avatar
            Nathan

            Nancy Naive:
            “I think suicide/murder prevention trumps privacy concerns…”

            Do you really?

            So if I could document a situation with an 82 percent rate of suicide consideration and 40 percent rate of attempted suicide, that would meet the threshold to make sure parents are aware?

            “Data indicate that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth.”

            https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32345113/

          6. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            No. Stats are not reasons for sidestepping the law. Individual cases and situations may be.

          7. Nathan Avatar
            Nathan

            At the end of the day, what you or I think isn’t that important.

            What’s important is how well institutions of Higher Education are balancing concerns about privacy vs informing parents about issues that may impact the safety and well being of students.

            Judging by the shooting at UVA, they aren’t doing a very good job. I’m quite certain the family of Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. would have greatly appreciated the chance to talk to their son about whatever was troubling him, rather than have him do what he did, and face the potential of life in prison.

            UVA dropped the ball, and we still don’t have the investigation report to tell us why.

          8. Nathan Avatar
            Nathan

            At the end of the day, what you or I think isn’t that important.

            What’s important is how well institutions of Higher Education are balancing concerns about privacy vs informing parents about issues that may impact the safety and well being of students.

            Judging by the shooting at UVA, they aren’t doing a very good job. I’m quite certain the family of Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. would have greatly appreciated the chance to talk to their son about whatever was troubling him, rather than have him do what he did, and face the potential of life in prison.

            UVA dropped the ball, and we still don’t have the investigation report to tell us why.

          9. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Judging from the shooting at VaTech, relatively speaking, UVa did okay, and compared to Orange, Kent, and Jackson State U’s where the shooters were law enforcement and the students were unarmed, they’re doing better than okay.

          10. Nathan Avatar
            Nathan

            The outcome at UVA where three students were shot is okay in your estimation?

            So what if the administration was told he had a gun
            but the administration did nothing and three students are dead?

            No, that’s not okay.

          11. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Beats 33. Or the Mississippi State police and Ohio National Guard; they had guns too.

          12. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            Maybe if parents of law enforcement officers could talk to their kids, we would have fewer innocent citizens being killed.

          13. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            If it were serious enough to rise to the parental notification level, I suspect law enforcement would be the first call.

          14. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Also, parents are the worst interventionists. After all, consider how many buy the little darlin’s the weapons in the first place. Start with Sandy Hook, and work forward, or with the Michigan kid and work backwards.

      4. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        Gotta go with Wayne here. An 18 year old Marine recruit at Parris Island is the same age as most freshmen in college.

        Both are adults.

    3. Carter Melton Avatar
      Carter Melton

      They want to become involved in local school board issues because this has been the successful venue/battleground for middle America’s pushback against the woke movement. Consequenly they see a real threat here to the dei racket which so richly puts a bean on their plate.

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        You make a good point.

    4. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      It’s a conundrum. Ah college years… Trying hard to be parents while trying even harder not to be.

  6. Nathan Avatar
    Nathan

    “One wonders if Cotrupi believes Virginia Tech parents have any right to be informed of, or involved in, life-altering decisions — hormone therapy, surgery, etc. — made by their children with the university’s knowledge and consent.”

    Such a policy would only apply to those under age 18. That number is surely very small, but it is still a valid question.

    Anyone 18 or older is an adult.

    UPDATE: I believe that FERPA is a potential obstacle for colleges with respect to any disclosure to parents without the consent of the student. See my comments below for more information.

  7. Bubba1855 Avatar
    Bubba1855

    Folks…at some point we need to let our kids go…if they have questions they can call home. Otherwise, we need to let go.
    If we didn’t do a good job of raising them we’ll know soon enough.

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