Residents urge Batavia schools to stand by Women's History Month post recognizing Rep. Sarah McBride
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Summary
Dozens of public commenters at the Batavia USD 101 board meeting urged the district to support transgender students after a Women's History Month post recognizing Rep. Sarah McBride was removed; speakers cited mental'health research and asked the district to adopt a plan for responding to hateful online comments.
Dozens of residents told the Batavia USD 101 Board of Education on March 16 that the district's social media post honoring Rep. Sarah McBride for Women's History Month signaled support for LGBTQ students and should not have been removed.
Speakers including parents, grandparents, educators and students described the post as a positive message for students who identify as LGBTQ and asked the board to use inclusive messaging to protect vulnerable youth. Heather Delmaso, a Batavia parent, cited research that an estimated 9 to 10 percent of teenagers identify as LGBTQ and said acceptance is one of the strongest protective factors against depression and suicide among youth.
Several commenters asked the district to develop a clear response plan when hateful or abusive comments appear online. Elizabeth Eccleston, a volunteer and social worker, said deleting the post after an influx of hostile comments missed an opportunity to show continued support and recommended practical measures such as muting, blocking or disabling comments so the district could keep the message in place. Missy Hem, a licensed clinical social worker, said affirming adults reduce suicide risk for trans youth and called for the board to stand openly behind trans students.
A smaller number of speakers opposed the post. Richard Dylene called for the communications director to be fired and criticized the post for inaccuracies; that speaker'level accusation was not acted on by the board during the meeting. Other commenters and board members repeatedly framed the debate as a teachable moment and urged civility.
The board did not take formal action on the social media matter during this meeting; several speakers asked administration to consider a districtwide plan for handling hateful online reactions to inclusive content. The district's communications director said the administration will revisit social'media procedures and follow up with proposed options for protecting staff who post supportive content.
