‘Outraged’: Johnson County students walk out of class over transgender bathroom policy

Most Gardner Edgerton school board members on Monday said they were against surveying students on a proposed policy that would prohibit transgender children from using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity.

Four days later, dozens of high schoolers walked out of class in protest.

“I was outraged,” said senior Elizabeth Fiedler, who helped organize the protest. “Students are aware. We have made our voices known before and we will do it again. The school board is supposed to benefit students. How can they do that if they cannot even offer them the basic respect of listening to them?”

At 1:45 p.m. Friday, about 50 students poured out of Gardner Edgerton High School, gathered at the flag pole and then marched to City Hall, carrying signs saying “Refuse to hate” and “Make schools safe” and waving rainbow flags. They said they were marching in support of transgender students, whom they feel would be discriminated against if the school board were to adopt the rules.

During Monday’s meeting, most of the majority-conservative school board said they support the policy, which also would ask staff to notify parents if their transgender student asks to go by a preferred name or pronouns. That has sparked concerns about how the practice could “out” LGBTQ students to their families against their consent.

“I’m a transgender male. And getting to know myself as who I am, my mom isn’t particularly agreeing with this,” said Rylan Mance, a junior. “But I honestly don’t care. I’m proud of who I am as a male. I’ve never related to anything else.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has sent scathing letters to the board, warning that the policy would violate federal law, plus isolate and harm transgender students.

The school board on Monday decided to survey staff on the issue before making a decision. And while most board members were against surveying students as well, district officials haven’t ruled out the possibility. It is unclear when the board will vote.

Board member Katie Williams, the lone liberal on the board and the only member to attend Friday’s protest, urged the district to survey students as well, and form a committee, made up of students, parents, health care professionals and lawyers, to study the proposal.

“I’m not opposed to children’s input,” board president Tom Reddin said.

But other board members argued that it was unnecessary to survey students because the board sets the policy. And they worried that high schoolers could not fully grasp what was being decided on.

“We shouldn’t allow the students to participate in policy,” board member Jeff Miller said.

“Policy falls under the board’s domain,” board member Lana Sutton said. “And I’m OK with surveying staff, but not anyone else.”

Williams argued, “I think you underestimate that a very large number of students are passionate about this and are following this very closely.”

“Where does it end?” board member Greg Chapman replied. “Are we going to ask the students for every policy that pertains to them? … I think that’s a slippery slope. There’s a reason that children are not allowed to vote until they are 18.”

“I represent the staff and the students, so I would like to hear their opinion,” Williams said. “I would like to hear what they have to say because I care about what all of them have to say and how it affects them.”

Chapman said, “It’s not that I don’t care what students think, it’s that on something this important, I think it’s very important that everybody fully understands what is being asked and what they are being surveyed on.

“I think it’s been spoken about in the community in a false way. I think that it’s been not very clear from up here (the dais). I just don’t think there’s a way to get an accurate survey that can be trusted from the students.”

District spokesman Ben Boothe on Friday said that staff is drafting surveys for the board’s consideration, and that surveying students was still a possibility.

Superintendent Brian Huff said that parental consent would be required for any student survey, allowing families to opt out.

“(The board) said that the students of Gardner Edgerton did not need to be surveyed because they would not know how to talk about these issues or understand these issues,” Jae Moyer, with Equality Kansas, told the students protesting on Friday. “So what you’re doing today is the first step. You are telling them that you guys have voices too. That you must be heard.”

The controversial debate began in July, when Miller proposed requiring teachers to use students’ birth pronouns. The board instead asked district staff and legal counsel to review options for a new policy.

The district came back with a scaled-back version, stating that staff should use students’ preferred names and pronouns, but obtain parental consent first. And that students must use the bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their sex at birth, or use unisex facilities.

“My best friend and my other friends are transgender. And I don’t understand the reasons why it affects other people. They should mind their business,” junior Bianca Little said. “I don’t get why it even hurts them or anything. I just really feel distraught, honestly. And it’s not something that should be happening, because people should be who they want to be.”

Since July, parents and community members on both sides of the issue have been packing school board meetings.

Several parents have supported the proposed policy, and some have threatened to leave the district if transgender students are allowed to use the restrooms of their choice.

Many others are pleading for protections for LGBTQ students, arguing that the proposed policy could harm transgender students and their mental health — when the group already is at a higher risk of suicide.

Gardner Edgerton High School teacher Jeffrey Cramer urged the board on Monday to “make sure we are not making a mistake that could lead to more deaths and pain. We cannot stand to add more names to the list of students lost, simply because our community made a bad decision and completely twisted the way these students function, live and go about their daily lives.”