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VIRGINIA


Virginia Sexuality Education Law and Policy


The Virginia Administrative Code states that all curriculum decisions are to be left to local school boards. Virginia gives permission for local school boards to develop sexuality education programs with the “goals of reducing the incidence of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases [STDs] and substance abuse among teenagers.” However, the state board of education is also required to develop standards and curriculum guidelines for kindergarten through twelfth grades. Titled, Guidelines on Family Life Education, this document set standards for “comprehensive, sequential family life education curriculum” that include age-appropriate instruction in “family living and community relationships, abstinence education, the value of postponing sexual activity, the benefits of adoption as a positive choice in the event of an unwanted pregnancy, human sexuality, human production, steps to take to avoid sexual assault, and availability of counseling, and legal resources.”


Virginia code requires each local school board to establish a school health advisory council of no more than 20 members. This council must have “broad-based community representation including, but not limited to, parents, students, health professionals, educators, and others.” This council shall decide health policies, including sexuality education, for the school district. It must also “place special emphasis on the thorough evaluation of materials related to controversial or sensitive topics such as sex education, moral education, and religion.”


Parents and guardians have the right to review the curriculum. The law states that parents or guardians can remove their students from any class. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy. Virginia laws also state that “parents should be required to justify their requests.”


See Virginia Administrative Code 8VAC20-131-170; Virginia Administrative Code 8VAC20-170-10; Code of Virginia 221.102-7.1, 22.1-207.2 and 22.1-275.1; and Virginia Guidelines on Family Life Education.