Residents and community members used the Wilbur Central Board of Education public-comment period on April 17 to defend diversity, equity and inclusion practices and to press the board on district policy for student privacy and parental notification.

Why it matters: The comments reflect an active local debate about DEI, student support practices and a district policy (identified in public comment as Policy 51 45.7) that governs how schools handle student disclosures about gender identity and parental notification.

Human Rights Commission chairman Glenn Morgan urged the community and the board to look beyond partisan rhetoric and described specific educational and accessibility practices as examples of equity and inclusion. "Diversity is a presence of difference," Morgan said, and he listed programmatic examples such as translation services, accommodations for students with disabilities and curricular representation.

Robert Farrell, a longtime resident, echoed Morgan’s call for protecting the rights and dignity of vulnerable students, saying that protecting rights for some does not diminish others. "Protecting the rights of others does not abridge or diminish any of my rights or anyone else's," he said.

A different strand of public comment criticized a district policy referenced by name in the public record. Anthony Mara read from what he identified as Policy 51 45.7 and argued the policy "dishonors mom and dad," urging the board to replace it with a policy that requires counseling about risks he associated with gender transition. He read aloud a portion of the policy as printed in the transcript: "Students who do not want their parents or guardians to know their transgender status shall be addressed on a case by case basis. The school counselor shall balance the rights of the student needing support and requirement that this parent students be to the parent guardian be kept informed about the child." Mara urged the board to "abolish this policy" and adopt what he called a "common sense" alternative.

Separately, a resident asked about the district’s internal staffing and nomenclature for DEI work. Paul Lund asked why the district had changed the title previously associated with equity/diversity/inclusion. A district official responded that the position title was changed earlier in the year to better reflect an evolved role; the new title named in the meeting record was "Director of Student Access and Engagement." The official said the change reflected the position’s duties and was discussed between the superintendent and the staff member.

What’s next: The public comments were recorded in the meeting transcript; the board took no immediate policy vote on Policy 51 45.7 during the April 17 meeting. Community members were encouraged to attend future Human Rights Commission meetings and to follow up with district staff for details on policy language or proposed changes.

Ending: The board’s docket included multiple committee votes and operational items; the public-comment session at the April 17 meeting highlighted the ongoing local debate over DEI-related practices and parental-notification policy.