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Transgender discussion draws hundreds to school meeting

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An issue about transgender rights at Rancho Bernardo High School drew several hundred people to the Poway Unified Board of Education meeting Tuesday night.

There were so many attendees in fact, many bearing signs or wearing homemade badges and buttons, that the meeting room was entirely full and attendees were forced to watch the meeting from the lobby, which was also nearly full to capacity.

Speaking under public comment, ten members of the public spoke on transgender rights vs. privacy rights for all students, after a student at Rancho Bernardo High School complained about being uncomfortable changing in the locker room for PE class with a transgender student.

Assembly Bill 1266, which was approved by the governor in August 2013, legally allows transgender students to use facilities on campus based on their gender identity, not on the gender that is listed on their school records. This bill was implemented into PUSD’s administrative procedures in January 2014. This is the first issue that has been raised since its implementation.

The transgender student’s identity has not been revealed.

Prior to opening up the topic to speakers, Supt. John Collins spoke briefly, saying that this was an emotional issue and had the chance of being discussed in a disrespectful or hurtful way, which nobody wanted to see.

He also reiterated the district’s policy to ensure every student’s right to privacy, as well as their right to feel safe, valued and included on campus.

“With input and guidance from the American Association of School Administrators, the California School Boards Association, the ACLU, and the San Diego County Office of Education, our districts will continue our work developing respectful, creative, and reasonable accommodations for all of the students we serve,” said Collins.

Due to this issue being raised under public comment and not being an agendized item, the board was unable to comment because of the Brown Act.

The topic drew supporters on both sides of the issue, and the first 10 people out of the 17 who submitted speaker slips to speak on the topic were allowed to speak (Poway Unified School District policy limits 10 speakers to a topic under public comment).

Several speakers, including Jonathan Franz, the student who made the complaint, and his mother Holly Franz, asked that the district install private changing areas for all students in locker rooms immediately, and work on installing gender-neutral locker rooms and bathrooms on campuses, to prevent students from being uncomfortable changing in front of a transgender student.

Holly Franz pointed out that the transgender student had taken to changing in a toilet stall after a few days of discomfort from other students, which was unfair to the transgender student, who deserves better.

Franz also requested that if a transgender student decides not to use a provided unisex changing room, parents of other students be notified that a transgender student will be utilizing the same locker room as their child.

Other speakers who requested private changing stalls for everyone commented that they were concerned about “immodesty” by having a transgender student change in front of other students.

Several Rancho Bernardo High students and members of the public spoke out in support of the anonymous transgender student and transgender rights.

Nicholas Rui, who wore a dress to make his comment in support of transgender people, said that singling out the transgender student was “deplorable.”

“To say that this student should have to give up his identity because of the discomfort of others is absurd, because I, for one, am uncomfortable with intolerance on our campus. A mandatory unisex restroom for transgender students would be laughable if it were not so dangerous, if it did not take away from this student the one thing that every teenager wants: to be normal, to be accepted for who they are. To know that the school must make special accommodations for you because other people are uncomfortable with your existence would crush any teenager,” said Rui.

While the transgender student in question did not speak at the meeting, his father issued a statement through a spokesperson, Kathie Moehlig of Trans Family Support Services: “I fully support my son and I am proud his bravery. I see this as an opportunity for others like him to feel confident in who they are. The positive support we have received from the parents, teachers and administrators at Rancho Bernardo High School makes my family grateful to be part of a caring, enlightened community.”

No action on the issue was announced at the meeting.

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