For some students, school is their safe place and the release of personal information about them that they shared in confidence can jeopardize the safety or mental health of those students.

School staff should not be required to relay confidential information to anyone unless the student gives their permission. Already there are high rates of depression, suicide, and homelessness in the trans student community. Revealing this highly personal information may be traumatic to the student and may impact family relationships.

Rockingham is one of the Virginia counties where public school students are being targeted and harmed by the recent adoption of a policy with the same goals as this bill. These policies are a distraction from education and expose our public schools to legal violations of personal liberties.

This is a blatant attempt to exert control over the personal lives and freedoms of others. OPPOSE SB37