In his executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” President Donald Trump falsely targeted Harrisonburg City Public Schools.
The order included a “fact sheet” that states that “Harrisonburg City Public Schools in Virginia implemented a policy forcing teachers to ‘always use a student’s preferred names and pronouns’ while using different ones with their parents.”
“This statement in the ‘Fact Sheet‘ is demonstrably false. HCPS never implemented such a policy. It is plain to see that the Fact Sheet was informed by inaccurate narratives, not by the very public record of the ADF litigation that concluded in December 2024. That record — including Division Superintendent’s letters, the Court’s Final Order, and other court filings that directly contradict the Fact Sheet and misinformed narratives — is available for all to review on the HCPS website,” Harrisonburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Richards posted on his personal Facebook last week and on the school system’s website.
Richards said in the statement that the school system “is committed to treating all persons in the community with dignity and respect, and to ensuring that all students and employees are accorded equal protection under the law. Our commitment to these core values is evidenced in various ways, including the public record referenced above, and our overall relationship with the Harrisonburg community.”
AnhThu Nguyen, Executive Director of the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center in Staunton, said the fact sheet refers to “gender ideology” in schools.
“What we do have is a culture of respect — one that honors the dignity and diversity of all students, families and educators, I will not be intimidated. I stand firm in my commitment to ensuring that HCPS remains a safe, welcoming place for all,” Richards said in a public statement.
“We stand in full support of Harrisonburg City Public Schools and are deeply grateful to the strong and steady leadership exhibited by Superintendent Michael Richards,” Nguyen said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
