Large public comment period at District 211 centers on transgender athlete policy and girls' sports

Township High School District 211 board members heard more than an hour of public comment on concerns about the district's handling of a transgender student's participation in girls' athletics, with parents, students and advocacy groups sharply divided. The comments came during the board's public-comment period; no board action on the matter was taken at the meeting.

Supporters of restricting participation to biological girls said the decision undermines Title IX's protections and threatens competitive fairness and safety. Deborah Yergin, who identified herself as a lifelong Schaumburg resident, told the board it was about fairness, integrity, and safety and warned that allowing an intact biological male onto a girls' team creates an imbalance.

Other speakers criticized the reaction to the student and urged inclusion and protection of transgender students. Noah Rodriguez, a Conant High School senior, said transgender students deserve to be treated just like any of us and urged the community to show kindness to our fellow humans. Jesse Miller, who said he is nonbinary and a graduate of the district, said the existence of a transgender child on a sports team does not make others unsafe.

Speakers cited multiple authorities while arguing their positions. Several speakers invoked Title IX (referred to in testimony as Title 9) and the Illinois Human Rights Act; others cited a presidential executive order dated Jan. 27, 2025, and said the district's policy put federal funds at risk.

Some community advocates urged public education and support. Paul Dombrowski, organizer of Northwest Suburban Pride and Action Network (NSPAN), said harassment of the student violated Illinois law and announced a Safe Zone training on Oct. 7. Crystal Larson, executive director of the LGBTQ+ Center Lake County, urged the board to follow culturally responsive teaching standards and said the debate should center on safety and inclusion.

Board members did not take immediate action during public comment. Several commenters asked the board to reconsider or clarify district policies; one speaker, Stacy Yale, later used the public hearing on the budget to ask the board directly whether federal funds were at risk under current district policies and whether instruction should be postponed until the spring if funding might be withheld.

The comments reflected a broader national debate echoed in District 211: some residents asked the board to prioritize what they described as fairness and privacy for girls in athletics and locker rooms; others urged the district to protect transgender students from discrimination and to provide support. Speakers included students, parents, local advocacy leaders and health-care professionals, and remarks alternated between appeals to legal/administrative sources and personal testimony.

The board did not adopt or change policy at the meeting; comments were recorded during the public-comment period and will be part of the public record. Board members repeatedly said public comment is not a dialogue and that responses to concerns would come through later board processes or staff follow-up.