Residents, parents and clergy press Weare School Board over middle-school bathroom access

WEARE, N.H. — More than a dozen residents, parents and local clergy addressed the Weare School Board on April 15 over a reported case of a male student using girls’ bathroom facilities at Weare Middle School, pressing the board to adopt clearer rules or offer private alternatives for students.

The matter dominated the meeting’s public-comment period, which the board limited to 30 minutes and reminded speakers to avoid naming individual minors. Ross Berry, a state representative for Hillsborough District 44, opened public remarks by tying the dispute to broader state debates, citing recent school performance figures and pending legislation: “The ELA proficiency for the Weare School District is 32 percent,” Berry said, adding that “since 2016, the Weare School District has seen a 28 percent decline in its enrollment.”

Supporters of restricting bathroom access urged the board to act before state law changes take effect. Katie Leroy, a resident who said she brought a petition with 72 physical signatures, asked the board to require that “only females use female bathrooms and only males use male bathrooms.” Pastor Josh Barnes of Ware Bible Baptist Church called the practice “harmful” and said schools should not permit what he described as “desegregation of bathrooms.”

Other speakers urged restraint and practical fixes. Lisa Mazer, a state representative for Goffstown and Weare, told the board she was contacted by parents “very concerned that a biological male is now utilizing their daughter’s private spaces” and asked that the student be allowed access to a private or staff bathroom while state-level questions are resolved. “That is not discrimination,” Mazer said. “Little girls shouldn’t have to be afraid to use the bathroom and hold it all day.”

Nancy Brennan, a former middle- and high-school teacher and volunteer, urged the community to avoid targeting individual students and to acknowledge scientific and biological variability, including intersex conditions. “Transgender people have existed across all cultures throughout history,” she said, and asked the board to pursue constructive, fact-based dialogue.

Board Chair Beth (name on record), who opened and moderated the public-comment period, reminded speakers of district policies KE and KEB and federal privacy protections: “Please refrain from speaking about specific minors in a public forum,” she said. The board designated Dr. Ko as timekeeper and said the school is working to add more single-stall restrooms; a board member later suggested installing full-height stall partitions as a low-cost accommodation.

The meeting record shows no formal board action on bathroom policy or a directive to staff during the session; after closing public comment the board proceeded to routine business, including approval of minutes and committee updates. Multiple speakers referenced state legislation in flux: commenters cited HB 148 and HB 1205 and other bills being considered in the New Hampshire Legislature while describing the dispute. The board did not vote on a change to building access, stating only that school administrators are pursuing additional single-stall facilities.

Why it matters: The comments reflect a broader statewide debate over school privacy, student accommodations and how local districts interpret shifting state laws. School officials said the district’s practices follow current state law and district policy, and they emphasized protections for student records under federal law.

What’s next: The board closed the public-comment period and moved on to the agenda; no policy change was adopted. School leaders said they are working to create more one-stall restrooms around the middle school and will continue to manage privacy and safety within existing law and district policy.