It Is Nice That They Are Obeying The Law

I always get a kick out of seeing an article on how a school system just came up with their policy on trans students, after all the law requires them to protect and recognizes trans and gender non-conforming students.

I found this article on the New Britain Pride Facebook page…

New Britain BOE approves policy on treatment of transgender students
New Britain Herald
By Skyler Frazer
November 8, 2018

NEW BRITAIN - The Board of Education approved a five-page policy statement Monday on the treatment of transgender and gender-nonconforming students in the city school district.

The policy essentially sets guidelines for school and district staff on how to address the needs of transgender and gender-nonconforming students and aligns the district’s policies with state law.

The policy contains definitions for terms such as “gender identity,” “transgender,” “gender expression” and “cisgender,” while also detailing how school officials should keep records, address students who are gender-non-conforming and more.
[…]
Several members of the board spoke in favor of the new policy and said it would provide a good guideline for schools.

And there was one no vote…

Nancy Rodriguez cast the lone vote against the policy, citing personal beliefs.

The policy wasn’t posted on the School Board’s website so I did a little digging and I found it in the meeting minutes (page 11). Some of the pertinent sections are,

Purpose
Federal and state law and District policy require that all programs, activities, and employment practices be free from discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. This policy is designed in keeping with these mandates to create a safe learning environment for all students and to ensure that every student has equal access to all school programs and activities.
[…]
Privacy
All persons, including students, have a right to privacy. This includes the right to keep private one's transgender status or gender non-conforming presentation at school. Information about a student's transgender status, legal name, or gender assigned at birth also may constitute confidential medical information. School personnel should not disclose information that may reveal a student's transgender status or gender non-conforming presentation to others, including parents and other school personnel, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure. Transgender and gender non-conforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and expression openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to share private information.

When contacting the parent or guardian of a transgender or gender non-conforming student, school personnel should use the student's legal name and the pronoun corresponding to the student's gender assigned at birth unless the student, parent, or guardian has specified otherwise.

Official Records
The District is required to maintain a mandatory permanent student record ("official record") that includes a student's legal name and legal gender. However, the District is not required to use a student's legal name and gender on other school records or documents. The District will change a student's official record to reflect a change in legal name or legal gender upon receipt of documentation that such change has been made pursuant to a court order. In situations where school staff or administrators are required by law to use or to report a transgender student's legal name or gender, such as for purposes of standardized testing, school staff and administrators shall adopt practices to avoid the inadvertent disclosure of such confidential information.
[…]
Gender-Segregated Activities
To the extent possible, schools should reduce or eliminate the practice of segregating students by gender. In situations where students are segregated by gender, such as for selected health education classes, students should be included in the group that corresponds to their gender identity.

And now the two biggies…

Restroom Accessibility
Students shall have access to the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity consistently asserted at school. Any student who has a need or desire for increased privacy, regardless of the underlying reason, should be provided access to a single user restroom. However, no student shall be required to use such a restroom because they are transgender or gender non-conforming.

Locker Room Accessibility
The use of locker rooms by transgender students shall be assessed on a case-by-case basis with the goals of maximizing the student's social integration and equal opportunity to participate in physical education classes and sports, ensuring the student's safety and comfort, and minimizing stigmatization of the student. In most cases, transgender students should have access to the locker room that corresponds to their gender identity consistently asserted at school, like all other students. Any student, transgender or not, who has a need or desire for increased privacy, regardless of the underlying reason, should be provided with a reasonable alternative changing area such as the use of a private area (e.g., a nearby restroom stall with a door, an area separated by a curtain, a P.E. instructor's office in the locker room, or a nearby health office restroom), or with a separate changing schedule (e.g., using the locker room that corresponds to their gender identity before or after other students).

Any alternative arrangement should be provided in a way that protects the student's ability to keep his or her transgender status confidential. In no case shall a transgender student be required to use a locker room that conflicts with the student's gender identity.

It looks like a good policy and it follows the law.

The Connecticut Department of Education issued guidelines and also the Connecticut Association Of Schools recommendations.