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Rainbow Parents urges Ralston board to prepare for LB 89’s effects on transgender students
Summary
At the Aug. 11 meeting, Holly Ritchie of Rainbow Parents of Nebraska urged Ralston Public Schools to prepare for fallout from LB 89, which restricts transgender students’ participation in K–12 athletics. She recommended reviewing enforcement, updating anti-harassment policies and increasing support for affected students.
Holly Ritchie, speaking for Rainbow Parents of Nebraska during public comment at the Aug. 11 Ralston Public Schools Board of Education meeting, urged the district to take concrete steps to protect gender-nonconforming and transgender students after the passage of LB 89.
Ritchie said LB 89 bans transgender children from K–12 athletics that align with their gender and that although bathroom provisions were removed from the final bill, the political rhetoric surrounding the law has left school bathrooms and locker rooms “less safe.” She told the board that the sports restriction will force some students to choose between quitting the sport they love or being outed to peers, and that coaches and staff will face new logistical and safety challenges.
Ritchie quoted recent remarks by the governor and said those comments could encourage vigilantism in school bathrooms and locker rooms, increasing risk for both transgender and gender-nonconforming students. She urged the board to reduce harm by reviewing and updating existing anti-bullying and harassment policies, offering additional support to students who are outed or excluded, and enforcing policies vigorously to limit escalation.
Ritchie identified herself as representing a statewide nonprofit of parents and allies and provided contact information for follow-up. The board did not discuss or take immediate action during the public-comment period; the board president reiterated that board policy limits board response during public comment but said the district would follow up.
