Student tells board Milan 'is failing' queer students; urges support for GSA and restroom/changing‑room protections

A Milan High School senior told the board Sept. 24 that the district "is failing me and our queer students in Milan," and described experiences she said made her feel unsafe and excluded.

"My name is Yana Warren. I'm a senior at MHS who is a bisexual trans woman. I've come to address the board with a simple statement. You are failing me and our queer students in Milan," Yana said during the public‑comment portion of the meeting. She described two school experiences in which she said staff directed her away from using the restroom or changing room that matched her gender identity and offered accommodations she characterized as stigmatizing, such as changing in a staff restroom or carrying gym clothes instead of using the students' changing room.

Yana asked the board to consider adopting a written rule similar to a policy used by a neighboring district that explicitly allows transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. She added that the newly restarted Gay‑Straight Alliance (GSA) held its first meeting two weeks earlier and asked the board to "stand firmly for this club to exist in Milan." She said the club aims to "create a club environment that fosters a queer space, teaches students in the club how to advocate for queer spaces and people after they graduate, and to inform the students of Milan about queer topics."

Another student, Zoe Tapke, used public comment to praise a teacher at Milan High School with comments about supportive instruction and classroom practices; her mother, Amanda Tapke, also spoke to thank staff for a positive year.

Board members responded in public comment and during board remarks with multiple expressions of appreciation for the students' willingness to speak and with statements that administrators would follow up. Board members and the superintendent urged administrators to investigate the specific incidents Yana described; several members said students should feel welcome and safe.

The board did not take formal action on policy changes Sept. 24. Multiple board members encouraged students and families to contact the superintendent's office and the district's website for follow‑up and said staff will investigate and report back if appropriate.

Ending

Board members said they would review the student’s concerns through established administrative channels and invited the student and other students involved to follow up with school administrators and the superintendent’s office for resolution.