A rural Virginia school board changed its rules to block an LGBTQ+ club. Students are suing in federal courthttps://www.advocate.com/politics/states/king-george-county-gsa-lawsuit 🔗Christopher Wiggins (4 Aug 2026)
A Virginia school board responded to students' efforts to create an LGBTQ+ support club by repeatedly changing the rules, renaming the problem and, ultimately, making the club impossible to form, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The students say almost every other organization remained welcome.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and Potomac Law Group filed the complaint on behalf of two students and their parents against the King George County School Board, Superintendent Jesse Boyd, and King George Middle School Principal Casey Nice. King George is located about 50 miles southeast of Washington, D.C., between the nation's capital and Virginia's capital, Richmond. The lawsuit accuses school officials of violating the First Amendment and the federal Equal Access Act by barring a gay-straight alliance, or GSA, while allowing other noncurricular student groups to operate.
The case transforms a yearlong local dispute, previously documented by The Advocate, into a federal civil rights fight. Students had already told the board about slurs, bullying, and a school culture that made LGBTQ+ children feel unsafe. Parents had warned that blocking the club sent a message that there was something wrong with their children.
