Two men have been arrested as violence erupted at a Virginia school board meeting over new transgender policies and critical race theory.
On Tuesday, June 22, 250 residents of Loudoun, the wealthiest county in the US, gathered at Ashburn, Virginia, to discuss the new rules, per Fox News.
It became increasingly heated as attendees debated a proposal on transgender students and which restrooms they can use. The proposal read: "Students should be allowed to use the facility that corresponds to their gender identity".
Divisions in personal beliefs led to a parent being booed after they claimed: "Hate was dripping from the followers of Jesus in this room".
Tensions escalated to the extent where two men were arrested by police, reportedly because they refused to vacate the premises after violence broke out.
A Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told Fox News: "The first man was issued a trespassing summons and released. A second adult male was acting disorderly and displayed aggressive behavior towards another attendee. The subject was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest."
A number of parents at the meeting also slammed a proposal that revolved around the teaching of critical race theory in schools.
One parent, Rachel Pisani, told the outlet: "The goal was really parents being able to speak and express their concern about CRT and the fact that our school board wants to indoctrinate our children."
She added: "The parent protests won't stop. I mean, we are an army of moms and parents that will not stop until we're heard. So they can mute our pics, they can arrest us, they can kick us off public property. We're not going to stop."
Other parents urged officials to reinstate elementary school gym teacher Byron Cross after he was put on leave due to telling the school board that he would not acknowledge the gender identities of trans students.
Cross said: "I love all of my students but I will never lie to them regardless of the consequences.
"I'm a teacher but I serve God first and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion. It's lying to a child, it's abuse to a child, and it's sinning against our God."
