Glenbrook District 225 Board Approves Transgender Policy

GLENVIEW, IL — The Glenbrook High Schools District 225 Board of Education voted Monday to approve a school policy for transgender students. The board voted 5-0 to adopt the policy, with two members not voting. Peter Glowacki was absent and Sonia Kim abstained, Pioneer Press reported.

A dozen residents in attendance at the meeting spoke to the board about the policy before the vote, and a majority of them opposed it, according to Glenview Announcements.

Those against adopting the policy raised concerns about possible lawsuits, students who don't want to be in locker rooms with their transgender peers or that the policy was unenforceable.

Residents in support of the policy, including two middle school students, said the rights of students in the district are more important the cost of any potential litigation.

» Move To Block D211's Transgender Locker Room Policy Denied

“It’s not about the money," said Krista Frick-Jewett, according to the paper. "It’s about our kids. It’s about being kind.”

John Fester, the attorney for District 225, said the policy actually reduced liability to potential lawsuits by providing staff with a framework about and guidance, Pioneer Press reported.

Resident Glenn Farkas suggested the district, fearing lawsuits, would dilute any rules regarding transgender students to the point where they become "virtually meaningless."

"So that any student, on any given day, is going to be able to walk through the school and proclaim they feel like the opposite sex and get to use any bathroom or locker room of their choice,” Farkas said, according to the paper. “That’s a very likely, but unacceptable, outcome of the flawed policy.”

Board member Marcelo Sztainberg disagreed with some residents who suggested some students would change their gender on a whim, Pioneer Press reported. He said transgender students only wanted to use the facilities of the gender with which they consistently identify.

“These human beings are not going to stop being human beings like you or I,” Sztainberg said. “These kids have rights too.”

» Read more from Glenview Announcements

Glenbrook High School District 225 Board Policy: Transgender Students

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all individuals who identify their gender differently from their sex assigned at birth do not encounter discrimination based on that identification, and that the health, safety, comfort and privacy of all students are protected. As such, no student based on gender identification will be inappropriately excluded, separated, denied benefits, or otherwise treated differently from any other students in terms of accessing or enjoying the benefits of the District’s educational programs or activities. The dignity of all students will be respected, and students who identify their gender differently from their sex assigned at birth are recognized as a protected class under Illinois law.

District 225 strives to provide a safe and supportive environment that helps students succeed academically and socially. To that end, the school district promotes respect for all people and does not tolerate bullying, harassment, or discrimination at school.

Bullying, harassment, and discrimination, based on gender, can affect all students. Therefore the District fosters an educational environment that is safe and free from discrimination for all students, regardless of, among other things, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, and facilitates compliance with local, state and federal laws concerning bullying, harassment and discrimination.

School district personnel will work closely with transgender students and their parents/guardians to strive to honor their wishes with respect to use of school facilities, participation in athletics and school programs, accuracy of student records, use of preferred names and pronouns, and privacy, in accordance with applicable law, and to the extent that the school district’s campus facilities reasonably permit.

Many questions arise for students, families, and school district personnel when considering the best supports for our transgender students. This policy does not anticipate every situation that might occur with respect to transgender students and its implementation should be grounded in, among other things, the developmental differences presented by each student and a reasonable response.

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Usually, it will be the student, parent or guardian who informs the school of the student’s transgender status or impending transition. However, it is not uncommon for a student’s desire to transition to first surface at school. If school district personnel believe that a gender identity issue is presenting itself and creating challenges for the student at school, it is in most cases appropriate for an administrator (or designee who has expertise and an existing positive relationship with the student and/or student’s parent/guardian) to approach the student’s parent/guardian about the issue. Together, the family and appropriate school personnel can then effectively prepare an approach to supporting the student’s gender expression and deploy supports as needed for the student’s well-being. While it may be important to consider a student’s age and grade level during the planning process for gender transition, such considerations cannot be used by the school district as a justification to delay or deny a student’s gender transition.

School district personnel are expected to accept a student’s consistently asserted gender identity when it is a sincerely held part of the student’s core identity. The school district will not question or disregard the student’s assertion of gender identity unless there is a credible basis for determining that the student has asserted a particular identity for some improper purpose.

All staff must be aware of the information provided in this policy. If staff have questions regarding the provisions contained in these guidelines, they should contact the administration for clarification so that each transgender student is properly supported.

» Read the complete Glenbrook District 225 Board policy regarding transgender students

Top photo via Patch archive, CVHS