Public commenters urge Berwick Area SD to drop written-name requirement, warn policies would harm transgender students

BERWICK AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT — Dozens of residents urged the Berwick Area School District board on Thursday to abandon or revise two proposed policies — policy 2-16 on student records and preferred names and policy 7-19 on multi-user privacy facilities — saying the rules would single out transgender students, harm their mental health and expose the district to legal challenges.

Speakers representing towns across the district criticized a requirement in policy 2-16 that the board described as requiring a handwritten, in-person note to authorize use of a student’s preferred name or pronouns. Christina Culver, a Salem Township resident, described the rule as “a direct outing of trans students” and said, “Use your common sense. Protect our children.”

The public commenters focused on two lines of concern: student safety and process. On safety, several speakers cited research they said shows large differences in mental-health outcomes for transgender youth who are affirmed at school versus those who are…