Adams 12 board adopts Pride Month proclamation after heated public comments on transgender student policies

The Adams 12 Board of Education voted unanimously May 21 to adopt a proclamation designating June 2025 as Pride Month in Adams 12 Five Star Schools.

The vote followed a half-hour of public comment on the district's policies related to transgender students, restroom access and counselor-parent communications. Supporters of the district's transgender-student policies said those rules help vulnerable students feel safe at school; an opponent urged the board to rescind the policy, citing privacy concerns.

During public comment, Thomas Scoville of Thornton criticized the district's approach to counselors and gender-dysphoric students, saying in part, "It is dangerous to keep secrets from parents and likely a ver, violation of FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Please rescind your bizarre gender policy." His remarks called for clearer decision criteria and more parental notification.

Multiple parents and residents told the board the opposite story: Katrina Whitehead, a parent from Thornton, credited Tarver Elementary staff with helping her trans daughter feel safe and said the school's support changed her child's behavior and health. "Before my daughter fully came out, she would not use the bathroom all day and got a UTI," Whitehead said. "When she was able to feel safe and use the bathroom she felt comfortable using, she became herself again and has excelled in school ever since."

Bea Gonzalez, a parent who said her child is nonbinary, urged the board to "refuse to let fear dictate our compassion for queer youth," and called on the community to prioritize student mental health and belonging. John Brown, a Thornton resident, similarly praised the district's policies as protective for a vulnerable group.

James Marshall Holshon, who identified himself as a Broomfield resident and as a member of the Broomfield City Council (speaking in his personal capacity), thanked the board for "standing up for all students" and said policy protections counter what he called fear-driven political rhetoric.

Board members spoke in favor of adopting the proclamation. Director Potter cited research on the relationship between welcoming school environments and student safety; another director said the resolution signals the district is a safe place for LGBTQ+ students amid hostile rhetoric elsewhere.

The motion to adopt the Pride Month proclamation passed on a recorded roll call: Director Asad Lucas, Director Battistelli, Director Goldstein, Director Marsh Holshin and Director Potter all voted aye.

The proclamation will be used by the district to publicly mark June events and is intended by board members to signal support for LGBTQ+ students and families across Adams 12.

Speakers quoted in this article appeared during the public-comment segment of the May 21 meeting; the board's adoption of the proclamation was a formal item on the business agenda.