The Columbia Public School Board approved a major change to its nondiscrimination policy within its schools.
Board members unanimously passed a revision to the district’s nondiscrimination policy at its regular board meeting Monday to include gender identity and gender expression. The policy applies to both students and staff.
School Board President James Whitt said he is glad transgender students can finally get protection from the policy.
“We understand that a number of children identify themselves as transgender,” Whitt said. “And some of them have been struggling, due to harassments and things like that, and we thought now it’s time for us to put a policy together that addresses that issue.”
Many members of the public voiced their opinion on the matter, particularly in relation to the recent walkouts at Hillsboro High School involving a transgender student using the women's restroom. The Board’s vote only focused on the policy change and not on specific school measures to enforce it.
Liam Theberge, a transgender student at Hickman High School, was among those that spoke in front of the Board. He said after the meeting that he hopes the new policy sparks a new mentality for CPS students.
“Transgender people are people, and I hope that people are just more conscious of it, and that kids just get to be more comfortable progressively and get to be themselves,” Theberge said.
Some members of the public expressed worry about what the policy change might mean for students who use the restroom. State Representative Chuck Bayse (R-Rocheport) spoke in front of the Board, suggesting that transgender students should either use the restroom or changing room pertaining to their designated sex at birth or a unisex facility.
CPS Superintendent Dr. Peter Stiepleman discussed possible procedures for implementing the policy, such as creating more unisex stalls, but no official action was taken on the enactment of the policy. Stiepleman said that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires that all nondiscrimination policies should clearly state the classes of people that they cover.
The City of Columbia’s nondiscrimination policy already includes gender identity, but the state’s policy does not.
