Parkside students' advocate urges board to investigate bathroom-pass reports

Phoebe Burke, a graduate of Parkside High School, told the Wicomico County Board of Education during the public-comment period that several Parkside students who are transgender had been given bathroom passes to use gender-neutral restrooms and that some of those passes have since been revoked or students have faced pressure from teachers not to use them.

"There have been reports that several transgender students who had been, given a bathroom pass to use gender neutral bathrooms have been either having their passes revoked or facing pressure from teachers not to use them," Burke said. She told the board the problem did not affect every transgender student at Parkside and expressed concern "that this is something that teachers are going out and doing without any formal policy being enacted."

Burke also referenced a local rule, saying that "under Salisbury ordinance, that means that they do have to be single gender" with respect to single-stall office restrooms; she asked the board to investigate and "resolve the matter over the course of the summer for the new academic year" and called for "a simple and compassionate policy going forward."

The board and senior staff "take all the comments under advisement," Chair Malone said during the meeting; no board action was taken during the session on the specific allegations raised in public comment.

Provenance and evidence

- Topic introduction excerpt: public comments introduction and Phoebe Burke's remarks (transcript segment beginning ~289.06s). - Topic finish excerpt: Burke closing request: "I'm just looking for, a simple and compassionate policy going forward. Thank you." (transcript segment ending ~359.255s).