OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A Johnson County school district has voted to add LGBTQ protections to its nondiscrimination policy.
The Shawnee Mission school board voted unanimously Monday night to adopt the LGBTQ language. It joins nearby districts in Olathe, Blue Valley and De Soto, who have added the nondiscrimination language.
The Kansas City Star reports the vote came after 10 residents spoke against changing the policy, while a handful of others supported the proposal.
Board member Deb Zila said she believed the change reflected the district’s practice of welcoming all children and trying to accommodate them as best it can.
Opponents said they feared that schools are teaching students about sexuality at too young of an age, or that transgender students might be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice.
