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Parents, staff and residents urge board to keep districtinclusive policies and uphold Title IX protections
Summary
At the RSU 51/MSAD 51 public-comment period, staff and residents urged the board to keep existing inclusive policies that allow transgender students to participate in school activities, citing Title IX and the Maine Human Rights Act and warning of harms if policies change.
Several staff members and residents used the board's public-comment period to press RSU 51/MSAD 51 school leaders to preserve the district's inclusive policies for transgender students and to oppose proposals that would bar trans students from teams or facilities.
The speakers said the district is already following federal and state law and urged the board not to remove protections. "We are here on behalf of the GHS English department who recently learned that we are facing a 0.8 reduction in our department for the 2526 school year," said Susan Inman, English department chair at Greeley High School, referencing staffing changes and warning of classroom impacts. "Enrollment at GHS is increasing next year," she added.
Speakers tied the policy debate to federal and state legal protections. "I support MSAD 51 in following the Maine Human Rights Act," said Carrie Chinkett of Cumberland. Multiple speakers invoked Title IX, which they described as protecting students from discrimination in school programs. "The purpose of Title 9 is to promote inclusion and prevent discrimination based on gender identity," said Hillary Lehman, a retired educator, arguing that federal and court precedent support inclusive policies.
Other public commenters described the personal effects of harassment and urged the board to prioritize student safety and inclusion. "Imagine for a moment that 1 day your child has their face and name all over national news. Imagine the constant harassment and threats," said Sydney Gagne, speaking about the risk to students who become the focus of controversy. Michael Perfetti, who identified himself as a Cumberland resident, said the district faced a moral choice and urged the board to seek understanding rather than "harass" children.
Speakers also noted that only a small number of students are involved in the athletics questions they were debating: "If 1 does not want to accept these facts ... in the last 10 years, transgender students in Maine 10 in the last 10 years, 50 transgender students in Maine have asked to participate in a sport," Perfetti said, urging the board to consider the scale of the issue.
The board did not respond to remarks during the public-comment period; the meeting then moved to a scheduled budget workshop.
Why it matters: The public comments focused on the district's handling of requests by transgender students to participate in school athletics and the broader question of whether district policy aligns with federal Title IX protections and the Maine Human Rights Act. Those laws and how the district interprets them will guide any future policy changes and could influence legal or administrative review.
What the board recorded: The public-comment segment included multiple named speakers (see speaker list). No formal board action was taken during public comment; the board stated it would not debate or respond in that forum and proceeded to the budget workshop that followed.
