Advocate FHSD Responds to Katie Stewart’s September 21, 2022 Motion

Advocate FHSD’s Statement in Response to Katie Stewart’s 9/21/2022 Motion

At the 9/21/2022 regular meeting of the Forest Hills School District (FHSD) Board of Education, Katie Stewart motioned to vote on limiting the use of school restrooms to the gender listed on a student’s birth certificate. This goes against Advocate FHSD’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) commitment defined below.

Celebrating the Whole Person:
Advocate FHSD is passionate about supporting a school district that celebrates every student and faculty member's uniqueness as a human being. Creating a supportive and accepting environment for students and faculty who are diverse in age, gender, identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, belief, etc. is important and the right thing to do. We expect this from the Forest Hills School District and will continue to advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at all times.

Diversity:
The practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different ages, genders, identities, races, sexual orientations, physical or mental abilities, ethnicities, beliefs, etc.

Equity:
The fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals while recognizing that each person has unique circumstances and needs that require different resources to reach their full potential.

Inclusion:
Recognizing, appreciating, and celebrating a person's diverse perspective and the unique point-of-view that they bring to the overall group or community.

Accessibility:
Design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people can fully and independently use them.

This motion does not align with our definition of equity and fails to create a supportive and accepting environment within the FHSD schools.

According to GLSEN research, 60 percent of transgender students report being prohibited from using the bathroom or locker room that aligns with their gender identity. Over three-quarters (76 percent) of transgender students felt unsafe at school because of their gender; and transgender people (specifically trans girls and women) are at very high risk of experiencing violence throughout their lives, starting even before adolescence.
​
We are responsible for our student’s achievement levels as well as their mental health. We are tasked with caring for the whole child as parents and educators. Research shows no correlation between these types of restrictive bathroom policies and safety for non-transgender individuals. Policies like the one proposed by Katie Stewart harm transgender students in both the areas of academics and mental health. This kind of policy will undoubtedly cause severe anxiety and depression due to the increased verbal and physical abuse transgender students will experience from peers. The fear of being singled out by other students every time a trans child is forced to use a “special restroom” or a restroom that prioritizes the gender assigned at birth is insurmountable.

Therefore, Advocate FHSD denounces this motion and any future policy that violates human rights and po2266 in the Forest Hills School District policy manual. We will also continue to advocate for trans students according to our DEIA commitment with the full weight of the community behind us.