This article first appeared here in the Washington Examiner.

As the new school year approaches, Fairfax County Public Schools is set to roll out a highly controversial unisex sex-education pilot program across 14 elementary and middle schools. Despite widespread community opposition to this program, FCPS administrators, with Superintendent Michelle Reid at the helm, have quietly pushed forward with their agenda, implementing it without a public vote by the district’s school board. This stealthy maneuver not only undermines parental rights and community values but also exposes an unsettling racial bias in the selection of schools for this pilot program.

An examination of the demographic data for the selected schools reveals a concerning pattern: a disproportionate number of these schools have high percentages of minority students. For example, Lynbrook Elementary School in Springfield, Virginia, where 81% of the student body is Hispanic, and Hutchison Elementary School in Herndon, Virginia, with a 75% Hispanic population, are among the pilot schools. Other schools such as Beech Tree Elementary School (53% Hispanic) and Lake Anne Elementary School (32% Hispanic and 18% black) follow this trend.

In contrast, predominantly white schools such as Terra Centre Elementary School (63% white) and Wakefield Forest Elementary School (59% white) are in the minority among the chosen institutions.

This selection raises serious questions about the motivations behind the program’s implementation and suggests a deliberate targeting of schools with higher minority populations for an initiative that the community has overwhelmingly opposed.

This also raises the question: In schools with largely Hispanic populations, will administrators share information with parents about the pilot program in both English and Spanish? Doubtful.

County leadership’s decision to make the unisex classes the default option places an unfair burden on parents to actively opt out, a process that can easily be overlooked in busy households. This tactic seems designed to ensure higher participation rates through inertia rather than genuine parental consent. It is a blatant disregard for parental rights and an exploitation of the socioeconomic vulnerabilities that often characterize minority communities.

Indeed, the strategy of focusing on schools with significant minority populations appears to be an attempt to minimize resistance, assuming these communities might be less informed or less likely to opt out. This paternalistic approach is both insulting and manipulative, as it seeks to impose a controversial program on those who are least able to contest it.

The secretive manner in which FCPS has implemented this pilot program further erodes trust. By failing to publicly announce the list of pilot schools, the district has kept parents in the dark, only revealing details at the last possible moment. This lack of transparency suggests an awareness of the program’s unpopularity and a deliberate attempt to avoid backlash.

Moreover, the district’s policy allowing students to choose their gender identity in gender-separate classes without parental knowledge is a direct affront to parental rights and state law. Parents deserve to be fully informed and have a say in their children’s education, especially regarding such sensitive topics.

FCPS must reconsider this ill-conceived pilot program. The racial bias in the selection of schools, combined with a lack of transparency and respect for parental authority, necessitates immediate action. Parents and community leaders must demand accountability from the district, ensuring that any sex education program respects the values and rights of all families, regardless of their racial or socioeconomic background.

The district must not sidestep the will of its constituents through underhanded tactics. Instead, it should engage genuinely with the community, fostering an educational environment that respects and upholds the diverse values and voices within Fairfax County.

Harry Jackson is a prominent education activist and advocate for diversity in education. He lives in Fairfax County, Virginia, with his family and is committed to excellence in education, parental rights, and safety.