Rochester Public Schools indicates it will solidify its guidelines regarding transgender students

May 8—ROCHESTER — After weeks of controversy about Rochester Public Schools' guidelines regarding transgender and gender-expansive students, the district has signaled it will write them into procedure, essentially solidifying its stance on the issue.

School Board Chairwoman Cathy Nathan announced the decision Tuesday, May 8, after a series of community members came forward to speak about the topic — including an RPS counselor who shamed the district for "censoring" her for her comments.

"We're committed to drafting a procedure that ensures all students are valued, welcomed, included and respected, and creates safe learning environments free of discrimination, harassment and bullying," Nathan read from a statement.

The board will present a draft procedure on June 11, 2024, and then vote on it July 16.

The district's guidelines speak to a number of issues regarding transgender and gender-expansive students. Among other topics, they include guidance relating to participation in sports, bathroom usage and students' preferred names and pronouns.

Nathan explained the school board had been waiting to transform the guidelines into actual policy until the U.S. Department of Education released information regarding its 2024 Title 9 final rule, which it did April 19.

Nathan clarified that technically speaking, the guidelines will become procedure and not policy itself. In other words, the guidelines-turned-procedure will dictate how the district goes about implementing existing policies regarding discrimination.

Nonetheless, the move will codify the way RPS handles issues related to transgender and gender-expansive students.

The district's administration first drafted the guidelines in 2023. Since then, they have continued to be a source of contention, with an active opposition from numerous community members. Among others, RPS school counselor Christina Barton spoke out against the district's guidelines on March 19.

Barton was just one of numerous people who have spoken out publicly either supporting or criticizing the district's guidelines.

On April 23, the Rochester Education Association, which is the teachers union for the district, came out in support of the district's guidelines. At the time, REA President Vince Wagner said the union leadership had considered a number of responses to Barton's comments.

On May 7, during the same meeting that Nathan announced the district's plans to solidify its guidelines regarding transgender and gender-expansive students, Barton returned to criticize RPS for how it reacted to her first set of comments.

"My work culture, district and union is hostile. And it's filled with bullying, ostracism, intimidation, censoring, retaliation and passive aggressive behaviors," Barton said.

According to Barton, RPS threatened to fire her for spreading misinformation about the district's guidelines. She said she received notification from the district, explaining she could lose her position if she continued to claim the policy had been hidden.

The district's guidelines regarding transgender and gender-expansive students were first publicized by the national organization Parents Defending Education. The organization described it as a "secret policy."

At the time, Superintendent Kent Pekel objected to that characterization, explaining that there are any number of internal guidelines in the district that don't get published to the general public.

Following Barton's original comments on March 19, Wagner told the Post Bulletin that the union reserved the right to pursue disciplinary action against her.

On Wednesday, May 8, following Barton's return to the school board, Wagner said he declined to comment about whether REA would pursue those additional steps he referenced earlier.

The district also declined to comment about whether Barton would face any consequences for her additional comments on May 7.