Story thread · 2 reports / 1 sources

Emails reveal Virginia school officials approved an LGBTQ+ club — until conservative backlash hit

advocate.com · 11h · first reportShare

The new school year in King George County , Virginia , was one day old when a 13-year-old student asked a federal judge to order their middle school to allow an LGBTQ+ student organization to meet immediately. The student, identified in court records as Z.J.W., is beginning eighth grade — their final year at King George Middle School. They spent much of the previous school year trying to form a Gay-Straight Alliance, only to watch administrators halt it after public opposition and the school board rewrite its policy governing student organizations. Now, internal communications filed in federal court show how the reversal unfolded in school officials’ own words. Principal Casey Nice acknowledged that he had approved the GSA, said the response on social media surpassed anything he had expected, and later suggested that the board might accept a “Kindness Club” if students avoided discussing sexuality or LGBTQ+ topics. Related : These LGBTQ+ Virginia kids found support and community in sch