School Board Issues
Gender bathrooms
Candidate Responses
Should a student’s gender identity or the gender on their birth certificate determine the bathroom that they use or the athletics they can compete in?
Kevin Allen
Candidate for School Board
Well, one big thing that when I suppose you word it like that, when the question is like that, is on my campaign trail, on my campaign profile, we’ve been talking a lot about opportunities for students to participate in programs and activities that may influence their future choices. And I don’t think that there’s really, there should be a barrier between what a student would like to do that may influence their future choice. And if that situation does come apparent, I do not believe that we should be blocking that student’s opportunity to do something like that because it is very important that they have those choices. Because with those choices that they choose early, either it be middle school, high school, or, heck, even elementary school, then it may influence what they’re doing in their next stage of their lives.
I mean, heck, even for me, when I was just a school board student representative, senior year, that really influenced into what I’m doing now in the next stage of my life. I’m running right now. So really, I know every student learns differently, but it just seems to be a thing that’s a very common trend, I suppose.
Dan DeBartolo
Candidate for School Board
I think gender identity is something that’s highly personal and we should not be using, as administrators, decisions that are personal to ourselves or to other people that aren’t those who are struggling with those gender issues and put those opinions on those individuals. I think if their gender identity is female, if their gender identity is male, regardless of (what) their physiological identity is, then they should be able to use those restrooms or facilities.
Jason Hart
Candidate for School Board
I don’t think it should determine the bathroom they use. I think the best way to remedy that situation is to have the possibility of just a gender-neutral bathroom in the schools. I do think as far as athletics go that it should be driven off the birth certificate, but for other activities, it doesn’t necessarily make a difference.
Steve Whitney
Candidate for School Board
I think we’ve got bigger problems than that to worry about. I am not going to lose a lot of sleep of over that to be honest. I am more concerned with how do we actually keep our class sizes small and how do we pay for faculty? How do we keep our teachers happy and keep them from leaving because we are going to have a shortage? The district’s already made their policy and I am not going to challenge it. I am just going to let it stand as is. There are bigger issues that we are going to have to deal with.