STAFFORD, Va. – A Virginia transgender student was reportedly barred from seeking shelter inside her middle school's locker rooms during a safety drill last month.
WUSA reports that the student, who identifies as female, was unable to go inside the girls' or boys' locker rooms during the drill designed to prepare children for school shootings.
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The student's name and the name of her school are not being released in order to protect her identity.
Equality Stafford, an LGBT rights group based in Stafford County, Virginia, posted about the incident on Facebook:
Equality Stafford Community, This past week, an incident occurred during a middle school lock down drill in Stafford...
Posted by Equality Stafford on Wednesday, October 3, 2018
According to the post, the student was instructed to sit in the gym bleachers while teachers debated where to place her. She was eventually made to sit in the hallway until the drill was complete.
"During an event that prepares children to survive an attack by actual assailants, she was treated as if she was so much of a danger to peers that she was left exposed and vulnerable," the post read.
Parents, friends and neighbors are planning to protest at a school board meeting Tuesday, WUSA reports.
Stafford County Public Schools Spokeswoman Sherrie Johnson released this statement following the incident:
Stafford County Public Schools does not comment on individual student incidents to avoid divulging confidential information. However, the new superintendent has requested a review of all protocols and procedures to ensure that all children are treated with dignity and respect. We take such matters very seriously and they will be addressed. The welfare of all students is of the utmost importance for SCPS.