Parents demand answers at Gardner-Edgerton board meeting over alleged locker-room incident

At the Gardner-Edgerton USD 231 board meeting on Oct. 13, two public commenters raised allegations that district leaders withheld information about an incident involving a biological male in girls' locker-room spaces and demanded public answers.

Carrie Schmidt addressed the board during the public-comment period, saying she has repeatedly asked district officials whether "from August to November 2024 a male, someone born male, [was] using female-only spaces repeatedly under a teacher's watch in the high school." Schmidt said she filed a Kansas Open Records Act request and that a district email obtained through CORA referred to an executive-session discussion about the incident. "Did anyone in November 2024 watch the 30 days of video footage you still had?" Schmidt asked, and pressed the board for clarity about what the district described as a "good outcome" and the plan to avoid a repeat (Carrie Schmidt, public comment).

Dr. Justin Spies read aloud an article and excerpts of an internal email he said he obtained, quoting a line addressed to district staff: "be ready to discuss the trans girl in the girl's locker room situation for the exec session for personnel on Monday," which he presented as evidence the district had discussed the issue in closed session rather than disclosing details publicly. Spies called the district 'secretive' and criticized Superintendent Brian Hough's handling of prior public comments (Dr. Justin Spies, public comment).

Superintendent Brian Hough did not provide specific facts about the allegation in open session. In his superintendent remarks later in the meeting, Hough asked parents to set conferences with district staff if they wished to discuss concerns and said there are times the district cannot share details "because of confidentiality reasons," particularly when personnel or specific student matters are involved. Hough also invited parents to meet with him to discuss district policies and practices.

What happened next: The board did not read the alleged incident into the public record at the meeting. The complaint and related personnel or discipline matters were handled through executive-session procedures and prior suspension/hearing processes; trustees told commenters they could pursue records and seek meetings with district staff for further detail.

Context and next steps: The commenters referenced CORA (Kansas Open Records Act) requests and press reporting as the source of internal emails they read aloud; district staff said confidentiality and student-discipline processes constrain what can be disclosed in public meetings. The board did not announce any new public investigation or formal report in response to the comments.