Elizabeth Brooks, a former substitute teacher and paraprofessional with Maine School Administrative District 75, who resigned in November after the class committee approved the anti-discrimination scheme, was the author of the complaint. SAD 75 addresses Harpswell, Topsham, Bowdoin and Bowdoinham.
District leaders said the effort is more metaphorical than legally binding because they are aware of no way to change their plans based on a complaint. However, they said the state’s Policy Committee does examine recommendations from the public.
On March 5, Brooks at Mt. Topsham High School, which was used as the voting place for the Democratic and Republican presidential elections that day.
The complaint concentrates on a section of the district legislation that mandates that students, faculty, and employees use their preferred nouns when referring to transgender and gender-explicit students.
“( The policy ) is a direct affront to students ‘ ( First ) Amendment rights”, the petition states. ” With this plan, every pupil from elementary to high school is required to adhere to an individual’s chosen verb ideology. Please sign the petition below if you and your child want to defend their right to free speech and the ( First ) Amendment.
The Harpswell Anchor could n’t find out how many people voted in favor of the petition. Although Brooks declined to demand an interview, a copy of her Nov. 17 resignation notice from the district’s college district cites her intellectual opposition to the anti-discrimination policy.
According to Brooks, the district’s decision to support trans kids “is crossing a dangerous limit” and creating a hostile environment for those who oppose “allowing this age-appropriate matter into our institutions.”
” I need to be true to my own spiritual compass”, the resignation notice says. ” In order to do thus, I reluctantly remind the committee of my resignation as a SAD 75 staff, effective immediately. Thank you and God bless”.
The policy’s expressed purpose is to link faculty and staff in their work to” support a learning environment that is safe and free from discrimination, intimidation, and bullying” and “assist in the academic and social integration of transgender and gender-extended kids” in neighborhood schools.
It lists pertinent terms and provides a framework for how to deal with students who identify as gender different from the one given to them at birth. For instance, the policy advises teachers to arrange meetings with these students and, if necessary, create plans that are appropriate for their particular needs and circumstances.
It recommends that teachers use the gender-specific pronouns and names to address trans students and allow them to use the restrooms, locker rooms, and other areas that most closely correspond with their gender identity.
Following a lot of heated debate and several amendments, particularly those involving parents ‘ privacy rights and student privacy, it was approved. Throughout its development, the draft policy alternated between versions emphasizing different priorities. The final version attempts to balance the two competing issues.
The policy, which took effect Feb. 2, is based largely on language recommended by the Augusta- based Maine School Management Association, a statewide, nonprofit federation of local school boards and superintendents. Additionally, it includes a section that was taken from Portland Public Schools ‘ policy and original language that the SAD 75 school board developed with the assistance of its legal counsel.
The language in the policy, including the use of preferred pronouns, was written in accordance with the Maine Civil Rights Act’s interpretation by state courts. Transgender people are a protected class under state law, according to the courts in Maine.
Being transgender was once thought of as a psychological disorder ten years ago, but now the American Psychiatric Association says it represents a natural variation of human diversity.
A groundbreaking 2018 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health by the American Medical Association found that transgender youth who were given the right to use accurate names and pronouns had 71 % fewer symptoms of severe depression, a 34 % decrease in reported suicidal thoughts, and a 65 % decrease in suicide attempts.
The school board’s meeting on November 16 the day before Brooks resigned, saw little discussion about the final policy. The document is referred to as” Policy ACAAA” within the district, according to a letter-based classification system used to categorize its various administrative policies.
Have a news tip or comment? Email J. Craig Anderson at craig@harpswellanchor.org.
« Previous
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Use the form below to reset your password. We will send an email with a reset code once you’ve submitted your account email.