Chesapeake to vote on policy change regarding pronoun use

CHESAPEAKE — Chesapeake School Board has begun the process of potentially changing policy that would prohibit teachers and staff from using and sharing their preferred pronouns when those pronouns don’t match their sex assigned at birth.

Chesapeake School Board met Monday to discuss several policy changes, including a few changes to professional and student conduct when it comes to the use of preferred pronouns. A vote on the proposed policy changes is expected at the board’s next meeting, scheduled for Dec. 8.

The proposed change would apply to the “professional conduct” section of the Chesapeake Public Schools policy manual. If approved, it would add language that refrains all employees from “compelling any staff member to address any employee or refer to any employee in a manner that