VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Virginia) brought his 'Parents Matter' conversation tour to Virginia Beach on Monday afternoon.
Youngkin has been holding these events around the state over the past few months.
During the events, Youngkin discusses "empowering parents."
It's a theme Youngkin has talked about since he began running for office.
"Parents have a fundamental right in Virginia to make decisions for their children," Youngkin said during the event.
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The visit comes after the Dept. of Education released updated policies for how schools are supposed to treat transgender or non-binary students.
The updated policies say students should be referred to by the pronouns on their official records and should use the bathroom of their biological sex.
Staff can only refer to students by another name or pronoun if a student submits a request to the school in writing.
"It's a parents matter moment, not a political moment," Youngkin said.
Last week, the Virginia Beach School Board voted to not adopt them, but could revisit them at a later date.
Youngkin said school boards "don't have a choice" in adopting the policies.
When asked how that can be enforced, he responded, "[School Boards] are now legally exposed, personally and as an organization. They have to follow the law," he said.
"Until they adopt these policies they have real legal exposure," he continued.
News 3 also took that question to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.
"The way the code of Virginia is written if parents feel their rights are being violated, they can bring a claim against a school, so every school district understands they're at the risk of a lawsuit," Miyares said.
Monday's event took place at the Bow Creek Rec Center.
