MANHATTAN — The Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 school board has approved updated guidelines on protections for transgender students.
During its previous meeting, the board gave approval to the guidelines on a first reading. On Wednesday the board voted 6-1 in favor of the new measure with board member Darell Edie the lone opponent. With a packed room of community members Wednesday night, Superintendent Marvin Wade explained why the board drafted these guidelines.
For over an hour, the board listened to more than a dozen community members give their reasons for supporting or not supporting these protections. Those in favor showed their support because of either having a family member who was transgender, transgender themselves, or an educator. One such comment was from Manhattan High School Student Max Barbe who commented on their experience as a transgender student at the school.
Barbe says students are supposed to feel safe at school and that is what these guidelines will help with.
But not everyone who spoke were in favor of these protections. Those who were opposed to them used religion and competitive fairness to critique the issue. Community Member Nate Wilson says the district would be encouraging rebellion against God.
Wilson said he believes push back to the idea of transgenderism is beneficial for transgender students.
After hearing comments for and against the protections the board then gave their views on the matter. Board Member Jurdene Coleman, who helped bring this item to the board, was in favor of the protections. She criticized those who used religion and free speech as reasons to oppose the protections .
Coleman did add that she would like to have some of the language to protections that say each building administrator would have final say on the decision.
While most of the board supported the protections, Board Member Darell Edie did not. He was worried these guidelines would have a minority belief system supersede other belief systems.
Superintendent Wade says the district used guidelines in the Topeka School District as a model for Manhattan/Ogden Schools after it found no specific written policy in place. The Topeka guidelines meanwhile have been in place now for 10 years. Wade says another reason for theses guidelines stems from the elimination of gender identity being protected by Title IX from the Trump administration.
The full guidelines can be found beginning on page 69 of the file below.
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