Virginia Beach School Board Gives Parents the Middle Finger

Jen Franklin, Virginia Beach School Board member

by Kerry Dougherty

Virginia Democrats.

Has there ever been a more arrogant bunch?

In 2020 they were convinced that they had turned Virginia bright blue. They believed there would never be another Republican in the Governor’s Mansion. They believed they had a license to implement a smorgasbord of far-left policies.

For example, they wanted to allow boys who pretend they are girls into school areas previously reserved for females only.

They wanted to make sure that boys could shower with the daughters and granddaughters of Virginians in high school locker rooms. They wanted boys prowling around girls’ bathrooms and tampons in boys’ rooms.

Worse, they wanted schools to alienate children from their parents by allowing troubled kids to switch genders in school without telling parents. They wanted to force teachers to use whatever wacky pronouns students desired.

The all-blue General Assembly wanted to make sure that these radical school policies were implemented in every corner of the commonwealth, not just in the liberal metropolitan areas.

So they blithely passed 22.1-23.3 Treatment of Transgender Students.

In effect, it tells school boards that they have no choice but to implement the transgender policies of the state’s department of education.

Each school board shall adopt policies that are consistent with but may be more comprehensive than the model policies developed by the Department of Education.

Most districts ignored the radical policy but the Virginia Beach School Board obediently adopted the Northam administration policies that tied the hands of teachers and school administrators, forbidding them to communicate with parents or others about the trans status of students. They guaranteed that boys who “identified” as girls would be able to invade the once-safe spaces of girls.

What the Democrats never saw coming was the backlash to their dangerous policies. That backlash resulted in a stunning November 2021 trifecta of victories. One day Democrats were running the commonwealth. The next Glenn Youngkin, Winsome Sears and Jason Miyares were in charge.

That meant there were changes at Virginia’s Department of Education, too. Naturally, the transgender policies changed.

Suddenly, far-left school boards realize that the 2020 law that they once supported now mandated their fealty to Youngkin’s popular, common-sense transgender policies that say children shall use the bathrooms and locker rooms that conform with their biological sex.

Students are still allowed to “transition” to the opposite sex in school, but only with the consent of their parents.

And just like that, Democrats now hate 22.1-23.3, the bill they passed to bully rural areas into accepting their nutty policies about gender. School boards in Northern Virginia and other left-wing strongholds are defying it and setting themselves up for expensive, time-wasting lawsuits.

On Tuesday night, the Virginia Beach School Board joined the liberal crazies by rejecting the adoption of Youngkin’s policies in a 5-5 tie vote.

What happened, you ask?

Cowardly Jen Franklin, who reportedly calls herself a Republican, abstained on the vote.

In other words, the residents of District 1, Kempsville, had no representation- – no voice — at the meeting.

If Franklin doesn’t have the courage to vote on the most consequential matter to face the board so far this year, she should make way for someone who WILL.

This feckless board member needs to resign. Immediately. What’s the point of running for elected office if once you get there, you suck your thumb during major votes?

Vicky Manning, one of the five who voted to adopt Youngkin’s policy, sounded the alarm today on Facebook.

Surely an intelligent person living in this district will come forward and knock this obstructionist off the board in the next election.

By not voting, Franklin ensured that Northam’s policies would continue to control Beach school policy. She ensured that when students go on overnight field trips there is a chance that girls could be assigned rooms with biological boys.

What could possibly go wrong?

Franklin is no different from State Sen. Louise Lucas, whose “brick wall” in the General Assembly tries to torpedo the governor’s policies at every turn.

The hard-left members of the Virginia Beach School Board will say they protected the right of trans students on Tuesday night.

They didn’t.

Instead, they gave a giant middle finger to Beach parents.

Republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed and Unedited. 


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Comments

22 responses to “Virginia Beach School Board Gives Parents the Middle Finger”

  1. vicnicholls Avatar
    vicnicholls

    Don’t worry we’re going to give it right back to Franklin. Her political career days are over, along with a lot of related issues due to her votes and blatant Chaney imitations.

    1. Not Today Avatar
      Not Today

      The jig is up. ACTUAL parents of public K-12 students are over blatant demagoguery and bigotry. Focus on academics, pls. and thank you. Those who don’t and beat nothing but culture war drums should read the KS, MI, WI, and OH tea leaves. Lay off the right-wing ecosystem sauce. It rots your brain.

  2. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    The AG’s opinion in the new model policies came out today. https://www.oag.state.va.us/files/Opinions/2023/23-042-Youngkin-issued.pdf

  3. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    It appears the AG made a pretty good argument that the policies meet the case law and code. However, requiring School Boards in VA to adopt specific policies may not be doable. They hate being told what to do.

  4. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Let’s see, now. Regarding the policies promulgated by the Northam administration, “most districts ignored the radical policy.” It seems that was OK with Kerry. But, regarding Virginia Beach and Northern Virgina school boards that refused to go along with Youngkin’s policy, she pitches a hissy fit. Conclusion: it is OK to ignore policies that Kerry disagrees with, but not OK to ignore those she likes.

    Furthermore, “they gave a giant middle finger to Beach parents.” From what I read, there were speakers (parents) who supported the existing policy. Apparently, Kerry does not think they matter.

    1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      “Hissy fit”? Really, Dick?

      1. Does seem a bit sexist, eh?

        😉

        1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
          Dick Hall-Sizemore

          Where I come from, that term can be applied to males or females.

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Play it safe in the future. “Pitching a fit” is the gender neutral form.

          2. Yes, but when applied to a male, the implication is that he is engaging in “girl-like” behavior, or being a “wuss”.

            So, still based in sexism.

            Besides, I was just teasing. 🙂

          3. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Kinda like EVs. ICE cars have gas pedals. EVs have prissy pedals.

        2. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          His outburst seem oddly familiar, come on man.

          He might challenge you to a pushup contest later.

        3. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          His outburst seem oddly familiar, come on man.

          He might challenge you to a pushup contest later.

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

        If the shoe fits…

  5. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    29 days until early voting. Last time around in Fauquier I was second. Hope to be first this year. Maybe they will give me two stickers.

  6. James C. Sherlock Avatar
    James C. Sherlock

    An all-Democratic General Assembly passes and a Democratic governor signs a law “Treatment of transgender students; policies” that says that

    “The Department of Education shall develop and make available to each school board model policies concerning the treatment of transgender students ”

    and

    “B. Each school board shall adopt policies that are consistent with but may be more comprehensive than the model policies developed by the Department of Education”

    Then Dick Hall-Sizemore says that Kerry “pitches a hissy fit” when Democrats on school boards decide the law only applies to Democratic Department of Education model policies.

    Got it.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Nope, you misunderstood. Kerry seemed to be OK with those school boards that did not adopt the model policy promulgatd by the Northam administration. She only gets upset with those boards that don’t adopt the Youngkin standards.

      Personally, I think school boards should adopt the model policies as required by law, whatever they are.

      1. vicnicholls Avatar
        vicnicholls

        Dick, kids don’t need back and forth. The anxiety, depression, mental health issues, stem from girls forced at the point of a gun (as that is what dictates of the govt are) to undress or be naked with the opposite sex, at a time when they’re unsure of their bodies. At that time of the month, that’s blatantly EVIL. Then they’re lied to by sex ed that says abortion = right to privacy. All at a time when they’re trying to figure out who/what/where/when they are, since religion is not given its proper place in life. They need stability, guidance, and a free for all blast of ideological horse dump is not a +.

  7. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    “hissy fit” is totally without regard to sex…. as far back as I can remember.

    Elections might sought out some of these issues… and maybe not in ways that some folks might want or think…

    and at some point, we may get one or more cases and decisions where we find out if “model policy” actually means “you will” or “you may”.

  8. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Actually, I think the gesture was more carefully aimed. Apparently, it hit its mark.

    You change the world by your example, Karen, not with your opinion.

  9. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    “hissy fit” is totally without regard to sex…. as far back as I can remember.

    Elections might sort out some of these issues… and maybe not in ways that some folks might want or think…

    and at some point, we may get one or more cases and decisions where we find out if “model policy” actually means “you will” or “you may”.

  10. Moderate Avatar

    Was this really just a political statement? Were board members really giving parents the middle finger or were they focusing on the child’s well being? Might they agree that parents matter, but recognize that sometimes children are in unsupportive or harmful family situations, and want to be sure they can do their best for all children? Some parents supported what was done, maybe because they also focus on the child, not their own “power”?

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