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Parents, students press District 128 board to restrict access to sex-segregated spaces by biological sex during public comment
Summary
Multiple public-comment speakers urged District 128 to limit access to bathrooms, locker rooms and sports by biological sex, citing safety and privacy concerns; speakers also asked the board to scrutinize survey participation rates and AP exam uptake among Hispanic students.
Several members of the public used the committee and the special-board meeting public-comment periods Oct. 14 to press the district on policies addressing transgender students' access to sex-segregated spaces and on survey and AP-exam participation.
Socrates Veil, who identified himself as a taxpayer and parent, asked the board to consider participation rates when presenting survey results and to ensure the district's efforts continue to address Hispanic students' academic progress. "When Miss Imes is sharing the results, the first thing they should always start out with is the participation rate," Veil said. He said his family moved to the area in 2002 because they found the district welcoming.
Jake Shulman said recent criminal charges involving an individual formerly employed in a nearby district highlighted his broader safety concerns and urged the district to "protect the students" and to stop "making the children go insane" by what he described as ideological programs; his remarks included language critical of transgender identities.
Kristen Christiansen and Kelsey Christiansen spoke together about privacy and safety in locker rooms and bathrooms. Kristen Christiansen described an incident she said occurred last year in which a student who appeared male and identified as female changed in a girls' locker room and said the experience "scared" her and her peers. Kelsey Christiansen, who identified herself as a current LHS student, said young people are still developing and urged the board to consider safety and privacy for girls, especially in locker-room settings.
Suzanne Newman, a district resident of more than 30 years, asked the board to select a new board member who will "uphold the welcoming and open minded character of our community," referencing recent elections that she said reflected tolerant values.
District leaders reminded the room that public comment time is limited to three minutes per speaker and that the district accepts comment related to current agenda topics. No formal policy action or vote on restroom or locker-room policy occurred at the meeting; the remarks were recorded as public comment for the board's consideration.
Ending: The board did not take immediate action on policy changes during the meeting; comments will be a record for future discussion as agenda items are developed.
