Parents raise safeguarding, restroom-access and school safety concerns at Berkeley County school board meeting

Several residents used the public-comment period Dec. 2 to raise concerns about student safety, restroom access in new school facilities and communication during emergency drills.

A speaker identified only as Alexandra told the board she had filed a complaint with school officials and said she believed Goose Creek High School had a "safeguarding failure." Alexandra said she was asking the board to address policies that, in her view, require students and parents to misidentify a male teacher as female, and she said she had left information and a QR code with district staff for the board to review. Her remarks included a disputed diagnosis and allegations about a teacher's sexual paraphilias; the board did not take action at the meeting on those allegations and public comments do not substitute for formal investigations.

Melinda Bell, who said she lives in District 1 and has two children in the district, urged the board to include more single-stall, gender-neutral restrooms in new and renovated school buildings to increase privacy, reduce wait times that disproportionately affect girls and to support people with health or disability needs. Bell said a federal lawsuit filed last month naming Berkeley County and the South Carolina State Board of Education was among reasons to be proactive in facility planning; she did not provide the complaint text at the meeting.

Maria Knab, speaking on behalf of the group Peace at Berkeley, urged improved communication about active-shooter drills and other emergency procedures. Knab said she and other parents sometimes wait more than a month for follow-up communications after meeting with district officials, and described an experience as a substitute teacher in which she said staff and substitutes lacked clear directions during drills and lockdowns. She asked the board to ensure consistent, timely parent notifications when drills occur so families can check in with students.

Board chairwoman and district staff acknowledged the comments and said complaints and alleged safeguarding failures will be handled through the district's complaint processes; the board does not act on public comment at the same meeting. Speakers were directed to the district for follow-up.