Former student urges Chagrin Falls board to enumerate sexual orientation and gender identity in anti-bullying policy

During the second public-participation period, Kristen Wood identified herself as a social-work graduate student at Case Western Reserve University, a former Chagrin student and a former high-school cheer coach. She urged the board to amend the student handbook’s anti-bullying and harassment policy to explicitly enumerate sexual orientation and gender identity or expression (or to include a phrase such as "actual or perceived").

Wood said enumeration signals inclusion and can improve safety for LGBTQ students. She cited data from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, saying LGBTQ teens report higher rates of poor mental health and suicide attempts in national data (she referenced figures of roughly 52 percent reporting poor mental health for LGBTQ youth versus 22 percent for non-LGBTQ peers, and cited attempted-suicide differences). She recommended three practical steps: revise handbook language to enumerate characteristics, encourage student-led groups such as gay–straight alliances, and expand socio-emotional learning early in school to support acceptance.

The board allowed her a time extension so she could finish her remarks. No board response or immediate action was recorded in the meeting minutes; the request was made as a public suggestion for policy consideration.