Public commenter asks board for attorney opinions on district gender-discrimination policy and bathroom access

During the public-comment portion of the May 20 meeting, resident Neil Kirk asked the Weare School District School Board to clarify whether the district's discrimination policy covers transgender girls' participation on girls' sports teams and access to girls' bathrooms.

"I read the policy, but I can't figure out whether it covers trans girls playing on girls' sports teams. Does it?" Kirk said. He also asked whether any district attorney letters exist that interpret state statute on bathroom access and whether the district could provide copies of any such legal opinions.

Kirk told the board he was aware of "at least one trans girl" in the middle school using the girls' bathroom and that the district's attorneys had advised this practice was required by state statute; he asked whether the district knew of other districts whose attorneys took a different view. He asked the board to provide any attorney letters the district or board had that interpret the statute.

The board accepted communications related to bathrooms and acknowledged a petition and emails had been received on the topic. No formal policy change was proposed or enacted at the meeting; board members indicated staff would follow up and that correspondence would be kept with the record.

Kirk also suggested a separate item — public-facing comparative reporting of test scores and spending — which he provided as a draft to help voters track outcomes over time. Board members thanked him and said his materials would be made available.