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Residents urge support for diversity, while others press for policy reinstatement; board hears wide‑ranging public comments
Summary
At public comment the board heard appeals to protect LGBTQ+ students and maintain inclusive practices, a critic urging correction of gender‑neutral pronoun usage in district policy drafts, and discussion about a rescinded local policy (24.10) governing staff referrals for abortion.
Public comment at the Plymouth‑Canton board meeting covered multiple hot‑button issues, including calls to protect LGBTQ+ students, debate over pronoun use in policy drafts and appeals related to a previously rescinded district policy on abortion referrals.
Several speakers urged the board to stand publicly for the district’s LGBTQ+ students. Rachel Hayes, speaking as a board member of Plymouth‑Canton PFLAG, said transgender students remain vulnerable and asked the board to provide a safe, inclusive school environment, invoking evidence that school connectedness protects youth mental health.
Joan Pence, speaking on behalf of a local group allied with progressive organizations, urged the board to heed the State Superintendent and State Board of Education resolutions and to honor diversity after the district rescinded policy 24.10 (a policy that had constrained non‑parental staff from providing abortion referrals). Several speakers saw the rescission as reducing protections; others spoke in favor of allowing staff to provide information about state law and resources.
One speaker, Colin Miranda, addressed the board about a first reading of multiple policies and raised a stylistic and grammatical objection to replacing singular third‑person pronouns (he/she) with singular “they” in policy language. Miranda cited grammar guides and said he considered the change inappropriate for official policy documents.
In response, Rachel Hayes and other speakers said inclusive language is about student safety and acceptance and questioned whether grammatical concerns should supersede students’ need for affirmation.
Superintendent Merritt and board members acknowledged the public comments; the transcript records policy committee first readings scheduled for several policy numbers and notes first/second reading items on the consent agenda. No policy decisions were finalized at the meeting; several policy items were listed for future action.
