001Happening right now, groups are rallying in Arlington ahead of a school board meeting tonight. This is the first meeting since the district was placed on what's known as high-risk status by the Department of Education. That's because of a current policy about which restrooms or locker rooms students who are transgender can use. Our Katie Lusso joins us live tonight from outside of tonight's scheduled board meeting. And Katie, we know this has already sparked a lot of debate and the school year hasn't even started yet. Yeah, it's amazing how much debate we have seen unfolding in the last month or so about these gender policies. That's what this surrounds and centers around in in total. But I want to show you a look at the crowd out here right now. We are about 45 minutes from the
002start of the schoolboard meeting. And take a look. You can see a lot of people have gathered here outside in front of the school board meeting ahead of it. Now, this particular rally, it was organized by Equality Arlington and the Arlington Gender Identity Alliance, and they are here to say thank you to the Arlington County School Board for standing by the current policies despite demands by the US Department of Education to change their gender policies. Right now, here in Arlington, their current policies allow students to use the bathroom and facilities that align with their gender identity versus their gender assigned at birth. Those against this say that student should only use the facilities that align with their gender that they were assigned at birth. Now, these policies are the same policies in place in four
003other school districts across Northern Virginia. Last month, the US Department of Education told all five that their policies as is violate Title 9 and that they need to change them. Well, all five school districts said no, and the Department of Ed put them in high-risisk status, adding that all of their federal funding requests will now be scrutinized. Now, school officials have told me the federal funding that could be impacted by this, their high-risk status, as it's been called, is money that's used to help students who rely on their schools to provide them with meals or for special needs accommodations. So, again, that crowd, it just continues to grow. Lots of people out here getting ready to not only rally out here, but then go inside. Now, I do want to mention that we have learned
004tonight that Lieutenant Governor Winom Earl Sears, who is also the Republican candidate for governor, she is expected to be here tonight. She is going to be inside. She has signed up to speak at tonight's schoolboard meeting. I do want to mention she has been very vocal that she opposes the current policies in place. We will have a full recap coming up at 11 p.m. in Arlington. I'm Katie Lasso. Back to you. >> This will be a lively meeting for sure. We'll check back with you at 11 o'clock tonight. Katie, thank you.