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Parent tells Kearney R-I board children were denied gym access despite policy; cites nondiscrimination and public-accommodation concerns
Summary
A parent told the board their minor children were denied use of district facilities though the district acknowledged the request fit policy C-160-P; the parent cited Missouri nondiscrimination rules and public-accommodation principles and asked the board to review the decision.
At the public comment portion of the meeting a parent (unnamed in the record) said the district denied requests by their minor children to use school gym facilities despite staff telling the family the request fit the district's policy on community use of facilities (referred to in the record as "C-160-P").
The parent said they were told the district has authority to approve or deny requests but that the district's denial omitted the qualifier "in accordance with law" and therefore conflicted with Missouri nondiscrimination protections and public-accommodation rules. The speaker said the district allows some nonresidents to use gyms but had "flat rejected" their family's requests and asked the board to look into granting the same access for their children.
"All we're looking for is for a place for them to use a gym," the speaker told the board, saying the children like to run and play sports and that they were denied the same privileges afforded to others. The parent said district staff (principal, director of operations, superintendent) all acknowledged the request fit the policy but that the request was nevertheless denied.
Board members did not provide a response during the comment; the item moved on to the superintendent's report. The transcript records the policy reference "C-160-P" and a general reference to Missouri nondiscrimination and public-accommodation law but does not record specific statute citations or a board reply during the meeting.
