Signs were seen around Woodgrove High School and at the varsity football game against Tuscarora High School on October 27, 2023 calling to overturn Policy 8040. The protest was organized by the Freshman Football team in response to a transgender student on the team showering in the male locker room. On November 1, 2023, about sixty-five students walked out protesting the policy, while roughly another fifteen walked out in support. 

Policy 8040 outlines equality for transgender and gender expansive students in Loudoun County. It allows students to use their preferred name, participate in activities, and use the facilities that correspond to their consistently asserted gender. Woodgrove’s Principal, Dr. William Shipp explained, “All students are able to access the facilities in which they consistently identify.” 

In cooperation with a countywide plan, Woodgrove is required to offer a certain number of gender neutral bathrooms that correspond with the population of the school. Last year, staff bathrooms were converted into single use, gender neutral bathrooms for all students and staff to use. Earlier this year, Woodgrove began construction on the 600 hallway bathrooms, which will be single use stalls open to the hallway for all faculty, staff, and students to use. 

 In addition to gender neutral bathrooms, Woodgrove has multiple gendered bathrooms. The gendered bathrooms and locker rooms are open to students and staff who consistently identify as the gender of the bathroom. Since the start of this school year, around 35,000 passes have been made to the restrooms out of 1,575 students. That is an average of 525 students going to the restroom each day, which does not include students using the restroom between classes or going without a hall pass. 

Students have many needs, but Woodgrove has a main focus. Shipp emphasized, “No matter what, students should have privacy.” The locker rooms have sparked discussions among students. In the female locker room, Woodgrove installed curtains to act as dividers between shower heads. However, the showers in the male locker room lack any sort of privacy for students. Shipp wondered at the lack of dividers stating, “I’m surprised dividers didn’t exist. When I came to Woodgrove from a middle school in Leesburg that had dividers, which opened in 1999, while Woodgrove, which was built in 2010 did not.” Again, he emphasized that their number one priority is that students feel safe and have a right to privacy. Shipp urges students to approach their counselors or himself if they feel unsafe or need special accommodations. 

With the newly elected school board, policy 8040 is said to be reviewed in the future. Virginia Governor Youngkin has been enacting new bills, which may cause the current policy to change. Shipp explained, “Whatever the school board decides, we will adhere to.”