CHANUTE — An effort to restrict transgender students in Chanute schools went nowhere Monday.
The Chanute Tribune reported that USD 413 Board of Education members declined to support a motion to adopt a policy separating bathrooms and locker rooms for transgender students.
The motion came from board member Scott McKinney. “I feel a policy separating bathrooms and locker rooms by sex at birth is not only appropriate, but necessary,” he said, according to the Tribune.
However, none of the other board members supported McKinney’s proposal, causing it to die for lack of a second.
Board member Jeff Caldwell noted the district’s attorneys recommended against implementing such a policy.
“They all provided the guidance that no restroom policy was the best way to move forward,” he said, according to the Tribune. “When I joined the board in 2016, we had transgender students in the building, as I understood it (then). There was no request for policy and no issue, but it’s here nonetheless.”
Caldwell added that both sides are passionate about the topic and “itching for a fight,” the Tribune said.
“Many people would love to see Chanute be right in the middle of that. But it’s not appropriate to tackle it in that manner — there has to be a better way,” he said. “So for those reasons, I’m of the opinion that for the board to ignore expert advice and direction would not be the path to move forward with the policy.”
Board member Ross Hendrickson agreed with McKinney, but opted not to second his motion, the newspaper noted.
“I personally do not believe that transgender students should be using bathrooms, locker rooms, or playing sports that do not match with their birth sex,” Hendrickson said said. “I have a personal problem with that. I have a moral problem with that.”
Hendrickson said that he is frustrated that the board is unable to “follow through with common sense.”
In a related matter, Board President Brad LaRue censured members of the public who had previously spoken on the matter during public forums, the newspaper said.
Due to negative and personal attacks by those individuals, LaRue issued apologies to those who had been attacked by the speakers. The censure applied to complaints about employees of the districts and others in attendance.
“Public comments should be directed toward policies and administrative procedures and should be respectful,” LaRue said. “We’ve allowed people to be disrespectful and this is not acceptable.”
