Citizen Portal
Sign In

Public commenters press Thompson board on transgender policy enforcement, staff representation and student supports

Thompson School District R-2J Board of Education · December 18, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Speakers urged the board to hold staff accountable for enforcing gender policies, to support transgender students, to recognize Tespa for classified staff representation, and to adopt equity-focused supports including universal meals and stronger family engagement.

During the public comment period, several community members urged the Thompson School District board to adopt stronger protections and supports for marginalized students and to recognize staff representation.

Reggie Johnson, president of PFLAG Fort Collins Northern Colorado, told the board that while district gender policies are sound on paper, enforcement is inconsistent and accountability should start at the board level. Johnson cited a September meeting in which she said board member Nancy Rumfelt used committee time to voice personal political opinions and said the board “did not cut her off” when she spoke about controversial topics; Johnson said PFLAG has requested censure of Rumfelt in prior years and urged the board to respond.

Janet Wright, PFLAG vice president, emphasized the stakes for students and families, described organized and well-funded local groups opposing LGBTQ rights, and called on the board to take action to protect vulnerable students.

Rob Eberly, a Mountain View teacher and Big Thompson Uniserve Unit representative, asked the board to recognize Tespa as the bargaining agent for classified staff, defended NEA, CEA and TEA supports for classified employees, and requested reinstatement of a professional-development slot for Tespa that he said had been rescinded.

Call-in speaker Elizabeth Newton, a BEST (Building Ecosystems for Youth Thriving) volunteer, urged the board to prioritize supports—universal meals, respect for teacher unions, and policies that protect transgender students—so children can “thrive” rather than merely survive school.

The board did not take immediate action on motions during public comment; staff and board members later discussed related policy and operational items during the meeting.