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'Merely protects students:' Bedford Co. School Board passes controversial gender identity policy


The Bedford County School Board voted yes to a policy prohibiting teachers from talking to students about sexual orientation and gender identity. (Credit: Hayden Robertson, WSET)
The Bedford County School Board voted yes to a policy prohibiting teachers from talking to students about sexual orientation and gender identity. (Credit: Hayden Robertson, WSET)
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The Bedford County School Board voted yes to a policy prohibiting teachers from talking to students about sexual orientation and gender identity.

According to the agenda, the INB policy states the following:

"In addition, teachers shall not engage in discussions with students about sexual orientation or gender identity. “Sexual orientation” is defined as an individual’s physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to people of the same and/or different gender. “Gender identity” is defined as an individual’s personal conception of their gender."

According to the agenda, this was one of eight new policies that must be passed for the upcoming school year.

Before voting on the policies, many members of the public and students of Bedford County Schools spoke up during public comment about how they felt about this policy.

RELATED: 'This will harm actual people:' Parents and ACLU voice concerns over proposed policy for Bedford Co. Schools

Mary Catherine Bennett, who has children in Bedford County Schools, said she approved of the INB policy because it protected her children.

"This policy merely protects the students and makes sure their impressionable and valuable minds are protected again from anything that should not happen too soon," Bennett said.

But Fenton Forbes, a student in Bedford County Schools said this policy would only harm those students who identify as LGBTQIA.

"Our mental health and the way we see the world should be your concern because times change, and they shouldn't be a target," Forbes said. "Help save a life; don't end one. Honestly, this policy is a huge step back for LGBTQ rights."

After the public comment section during Thursday night's meeting at Liberty High School, school board member Chris Daniels motioned to approve the other seven policies first and vote on INB separately.

The motion passed with a final vote of 6-0 with one member absent. After the first seven policies were approved, Daniels made a motion to approve the policy but amend it.

"I move to amend the word 'engage' in the second to last paragraph and change it to initiate," Daniels said.

RELATED: Bedford Co. School Board set to vote again on sexual orientation policy

Even with the word change, school board member Dr. Sussan Mele said the policy would still harm students who already feel alienated.

"These people should be seen as valued," Dr. Mele said. "Regardless of what they think of themselves or what pronouns they use."

Vice School Board Chair Marcus Hill pushed back at her comments and said parents are leading the way and want this policy.

"Yet again, she wants to remove the parental rights," Hill said. "We are not going to do that. It's time to vote; we have a motion on the floor."

After taking the vote, the board passed the amended INB policy with a final vote of 5-1, with one member absent.

Bedford County School Superintendent Dr. Marc Bergin thanked the board for their hard work on this policy.

He also reiterated that this policy forbids teachers from initiating the conversation but teachers can teach those topics as long as it's a part of the approved school system curriculum.

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