Salt Lake City school board approves revised G24 gender-inclusion policy after heated debate

The Salt Lake City School District Board on June 24 approved amended language to board policy G24, governing gender inclusion, after more than an hour of discussion and a roll-call vote.

Board Member Christie moved to approve the revisions; the motion received a second and was put to a roll-call vote. Supporters, including members of the policy subcommittee and board legal counsel, said the subcommittee reviewed the language, sought counsel from district and outside legal advisers, and recommended changes to ensure the policy complied with state law while maintaining existing protections in practice. "We seeked counsel from both district counsel as well as board legal counsel," a subcommittee member said, adding the revised language does not change day-to-day practices for protecting students.

Opponents spoke at length. Board Member Ashley Anderson said she would vote no, arguing the committee’s timeline was too short to include impacted stakeholders and warning that removing the word "gender" from a gender-inclusion policy risks harm to queer students and staff. Anderson said historical disputes in the district taught the board the cost of eroding student trust and cited research she described as showing higher rates of bullying and lower educator intervention when enumeration is removed. "With almost half of queer youth in The United States contemplating suicide in the past year, that is not a risk I can put my name on," Anderson said.

Mohammed, another board member, said he respects the law but criticized what he described as policies that "disenfranchise a group of people," and said he would continue to stand on the side of students. "I'm here to serve those kiddos," he said.

Board Member Bryce Williams and others emphasized the subcommittee process and said legal guidance shaped the recommended amendments. "The policy subcommittee did take a look at it," Williams said, urging the public to note that counsel was involved in drafting the revisions.

The board conducted a roll-call vote after closing debate. Members recorded on the public roll call included Mohammed (no), Ryan Jensen (yes), Christy Spott (yes), Bryce Williams (yes), Jenny Cica (yes), Ashley Anderson (no), and Denise Salazar (yes). The chair announced the motion passed.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (routine purchases/accounting reports): motion moved by Christie and approved by roll call earlier in the meeting; recorded votes in that roll call were in the affirmative for the participating members and the chair announced the motion passed. - G24 (gender inclusion) policy: motion to approve amended G24, mover Christie, second (not named); roll-call votes recorded during the public vote included the names listed above and the motion was announced as passed.

What the board said and asked

Speakers on both sides framed the item as balancing legal compliance and the board’s stated duty to protect students. Supporters said legal counsel advised the subcommittee. Critics said the board should have slowed the timeline to include more stakeholder input and warned of real harms to students if enumeration was removed from policy wording.

What’s next

The chair paused the meeting for a short break and said the retreat will continue after the break; no further formal action on G24 was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.

Sources: Salt Lake City School District Board of Education retreat transcript, June 24, 2024.