Diana’s Little Corner in the Nutmeg State: Oh When Will They Ever Learn?

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Oh When Will They Ever Learn?

It is just unbelievable that school systems have their head in the sand; don’t they read the bulletins from the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice? Don’t they read the news and see all the schools systems that have received fines and legal action for discrimination or maybe they just watch Fox News?

Transgender student at Columbus High School says school is not making reasonable accommodations
KAOM Channel 7
Updated: Sep 19, 2014
By Cailey Dougherty

A transgender student at Columbus High School says the school is not making reasonable accommodations for his needs.

Now the student is speaking out, but the school is not.

"The students don't see me as a person," said Damien Greenlee, junior.

Greenlee is a transgender student, who was born a female, but has taken on a male identity since the beginning of freshman year.

Greenlee says after student complaints, school officials told him not to use either the men's or women's bathrooms at school.

"I had no bathroom that I could go to," Greenlee said. "The bathroom that I'm going to now is a storage unit."

This is so totally against the law and dehumanizing! To be forced the use a bathroom in a storage closet like he has some horrible contagious disease.

And don’t get me started on what the reporter wrote, “…has taken on a male identity…” Grrr.

3 comments:

Profmackenzie9/25/14, 8:37 AM
Hey Diana, Hall High School is having a trans* student use the nurse's bathroom. , which is in convent and stigmatizing. The only "gender neutral" bathroom it is far from all his classes except his last class. That's a long time to hold it.

Any suggestions? He has copies of the legislation and has told other students about it he bathroom issue. The GSA Is not moving on it .
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Diana_CT9/25/14, 11:38 AM
Hi Professor

There are a number of thing the student can try...

CT CHRO Guidelines for Schools on Gender Identity and Expression
http://www.ct.gov/chro/lib/chro/Guidelines_for_Schools_on_Gender_Identity_and_Expression_final_4-24-12.pdf

There was also a court case in Maine that went to their Supreme Court, Maine's law is identical to CT
Breakthrough Ruling in Favor of Transgender Student
http://www.glad.org/current/item/breakthrough-ruling-in-favor-of-transgender-student

and...
Maine Supreme Court rules in favor of transgender girl in Orono school bathroom case
http://bangordailynews.com/2014/01/30/news/bangor/maine-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-transgender-girl-in-orono-school-bathroom-case/

However, sometimes what it will take is a lawsuit if the school wants dig in it heels.
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Profmackenzie9/27/14, 10:48 PM
Thank you Mz. Diana. I'll pass the information along. Love your blog.
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