New Diplomas Available for Trans, Gender-Expansive FCPS Alumni
FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County Public Schools has established a process for issuing replacement diplomas upon request by alumni who graduated from schools previously named in honor of the Confederacy and alumni who have changed their names.
Graduates from the former Robert E. Lee High School (now John R. Lewis High School) and J.E.B. Stewart High School (now Justice High School) can receive replacement diplomas bearing their school’s current name. Additionally, transgender, gender-expansive, and other students who have changed their names can also receive replacement diplomas. Interested alumni should contact FCPS IT Document Management.
Last November, the Fairfax County School Board approved a proposal from Providence District Representative Karl Frisch directing the Superintendent to develop these plans.
“After we renamed Lee High School in honor of John R. Lewis, I began hearing from alumni who were eager to have their diplomas replaced. Many cited the shame of carrying a Confederate leader’s name with them as they spoke about high school with their college classmates or sought employment,” said Frisch.
He continued, “I have also heard from many transgender and gender-expansive alumni who, despite living openly as their true authentic selves for the first time, continue to be deadnamed by their academic documents long after graduation.”
“Offering replacement diplomas to interested alumni will help us foster a responsive, caring, and inclusive culture where all feel valued, supported, and hopeful,” Frisch concluded.
In addition to diplomas, transgender, gender-expansive, and other students who have changed their names can also request updated transcripts and school records. Students who have been out of FCPS for more than five years should submit a letter requesting the change to FCPS IT Document Management. Those who have been out of FCPS for less than five years should contact their former school and request an amendment from the school.
