Virginia
Alexandria City High School teacher called ‘faggot,’ threatened by students: report
Letter to school board says school officials failed to adequately respond
An English teacher who identifies as gay reports being verbally and physically threatened at Alexandria City High School and says school officials have failed to adequately respond to the students’ behavior, which he says included hurling the name “faggot” at him.
The teacher, Matthew Henry, who holds a doctorate degree, sent a detailed two-and-a-half-page letter to the Alexandria School Board through its online public comment site describing how he believes he’s facing threats by students.
“In my 13 years at ACHS, a school I love, I have never previously been called faggot to my face,” Henry states in his letter. “I have never been made to feel less than by any student that I can recall due to my sexuality, even if their religion, culture, church, neighborhood, friends or family tells them otherwise,” he wrote.
“Twice now this year, students have used that word toward me simply because I have asked them to go to class,” his letter continues. “Twice within a month’s time: November 13th and December 13th. Twice now,” he states in his letter. “A third time I was physically threatened, though that word was not used.”
He states that on the day he wrote his letter to the school board a student “wondering the halls” asked him a question about a location within the school he was looking for. When Henry responded, another student replied, “We ain’t talkin to you, faggot,” Henry recalls in his letter.
The letter, a copy of which the Washington Blade received from an Alexandria Public Schools spokesperson, has no date on it. But the Alexandria Times, which was the first media outlet to report the story on Henry’s letter to the school board, reports that the letter was sent early “this year.”
Henry has not responded to a request from the Blade to be interviewed about his report of anti-gay threats from students. His letter also does not say how the students targeting him for harassment learned that he is gay or whether he self identifies as gay at his school.
In response to a request from the Blade, the Alexandria Public Schools sent the Blade a short statement from Julia Burgos, the school system’s Chief of School & Community Relations, which was released in response to media inquiries.
“Please know that safety is a top priority at Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS),” the statement says. “We are dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students, staff, visitors and members of our school community,” the statement continues.
“To that end, we place a strong emphasis on adherence to our Student Code of Conduct with our students,” it says. “When we are made aware of matters that do not align with our code of conduct, we address them and take appropriate action with those students as warranted,” the statement concludes.
The statement does not say whether school officials have taken action against any of the students who Henry says have threatened him or subjected him to anti-gay name calling.
“Here, we count on the administration and this district to defend us when needed through quick and efficient consequences,” Henry says in his letter. “And I feel like my school and district is letting me down,” he wrote.
“This is why I’m so shaken by this. I am not allowed to defend myself and my instinct is to defend, both myself and others, especially LGBTQ+ students, in all aspects of my life,” he states.
“The word ‘faggot’ immediately alerts me and other LGBTQ+ people that a situation is now dangerous,” Henry’s letter continues. “The response by campus leaders was very unsatisfactory,” he wrote.
“The hallways of this school are an absolute NIGHTMARE,” Henry concludes in his letter. “I love being an educator, I love this school, and teaching is something I think I’m really good at. Many in this building feel the same,” his letter states. “It saddens me that a small group of students in this school is taking that away from us and is forcing many of us to look for off-ramps.”
Virginia
Va. Senate committee approves resolution to repeal marriage amendment
Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin introduced SJ3
The Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on Wednesday by a 10-4 vote margin approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced SJ3.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2024 signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.
A resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment passed in the General Assembly in 2021. The resolution passed again in 2025.
Two successive legislatures must approve the resolution before it can go to the ballot. Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates have said the resolution’s passage is among their 2026 legislative priorities.
Virginia
Mark Levine loses race to succeed Adam Ebbin in ‘firehouse’ Democratic primary
State Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker won with 70.6 percent of vote
Gay former Virginia House of Delegates member Mark Levine (D-Alexandria) lost his race to become the Democratic nominee to replace gay state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) in a Jan. 13 “firehouse” Democratic primary.
Levine finished in second place in the hastily called primary, receiving 807 votes or 17.4 percent. The winner in the four-candidate race, state Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, who was endorsed by both Ebbin and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger received 3,281 votes or 70.6 percent.
Ebbin, whose 39th Senate District includes Alexandria and parts of Arlington and Fairfax Counties, announced on Jan. 7 that he was resigning effective Feb. 18, to take a job in the Spanberger administration as senior advisor at the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.
Results of the Jan. 13 primary, which was called by Democratic Party leaders in Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax, show that candidates Charles Sumpter, a World Wildlife Fund director, finished in third place with 321 voters or 6.9 percent; and Amy Jackson, the former Alexandria vice mayor, finished in fourth place with 238 votes or 5.1 percent.
Bennett-Parker, who LGBTQ community advocates consider a committed LGBTQ ally, will now compete as the Democratic nominee in a Feb. 10 special election in which registered voters in the 39th District of all political parties and independents will select Ebbin’s replacement in the state senate.
The Alexandria publication ALX Now reports that local realtor Julie Robben Linebery has been selected by the Alexandria Republican City Committee to be the GOP candidate to compete in the Jan. 10 special election. According to ALX Now, Lineberry was the only application to run in a now cancelled special party caucus type event initially called to select the GOP nominees.
It couldn’t immediately be determined if an independent or other party candidate planned to run in the special election.
Bennett-Parker is considered the strong favorite to win the Feb. 10 special election in the heavily Democratic 39th District, where Democrat Ebbin has served as senator since 2012.
Virginia
Woman arrested for anti-gay assault at Alexandria supermarket
Victim recorded video of Christmas Day attack
Alexandria police announced on Jan. 12 that a Maryland woman has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a man while shouting anti-gay slurs at him at a Giant supermarket in Alexandria on Christmas Day.
The arrest came after a video of the assault that the victim captured with his phone and on which the woman can be heard shouting anti-gay slurs went viral on social media.
Police identified the woman as Shibritney Colbert, 34, of Landover, Md. Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire stated at a news conference that police responded to a 911 call placed by the victim and attempted to apprehend the woman, but she drove off in her car before police could apprehend her.
He said following an investigation, Colbert was apprehended and arrested in Prince Goerge’s County, Md., on Jan. 8. He said arrangements were being made for her to be brought to Alexandria where she was expected to face charges of assault and battery, destruction of property, felony eluding, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
The video of the incident shows Colbert pushing a shopping cart she was using in an aisle at the Giant store, located at 3131 Duke St., into the victim and another woman who was trying to help the victim. She can be seen throwing groceries at the victim while shouting anti-gay names. “Boy, get out of here with your gay ass,” was among the words she yelled at him that could be heard on the video.
The victim, who police identified only as a 24-year-old man, could be heard on the video saying he does not know the woman and urging her to “please back up.”
“Based on the victim’s statement, comments exchanged prior to the assault, and the totality of the circumstances, investigators believe the victim was targeted because of his sexual orientation,” police said in a statement.
Tarrick said Colbert’s arrest came at a time when Alexandria police were completing a strengthened hate crime policy calling for detectives to investigate crimes based on hate and for the department to prepare reports on hate crimes twice a year.
“Hate crimes are not just crimes against individuals, they are offenses that threaten the entire community and undermine the fundamental principles of dignity, equality, and safety,” Tarrick said.
Alexandria police didn’t immediately respond to a request from the Washington Blade for a copy of the official police report on the incident.
A link to the video posted on the social media site Reddit in which an unidentified man provides some details of the attack, can be accessed here:
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