EAST ROCKHILL — The Pennridge School Board Monday evening unanimously approved a policy to ban transgender students from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity.
The policy, titled “Sex-Based Distinction in Athletics,” codifies sex-based sports teams in the school district, requiring students to play on the team that matches their biological sex, with the aim of promoting “participation by the historically underrepresented sex in a fair and competitive environment.”
It continues, “Based upon real and demonstrable physical and competitive differences between similarly aged and trained biological males and biological females in athletic performances, we recognize that combining sexes for competition purposes would have a chilling effect on female participation in interscholastic athletics.”
While the board was largely united on the issue, members of the public were split, with supporters arguing that the policy protects female athletes from unfair competition and physical harm and opponents characterizing the policy as discriminatory and a distraction from real issues in the district.
“The only effect of your gender policies is to send the message that you will never protect our vulnerable LGBTQ+ kids but rather make sure they know their place,” said Stephanie Regina of East Rockhill, adding that the policy amounts to a distraction from “the real problems that are pushing our teachers out and leaving our kids wondering what’s going to happen to their education.”
“Has any one of you ever bothered to ask even one trans kid what’s it like to be a trans kid here?” asked Laura Foster of East Rockhill. “Over and over, this board has been asked to provide any shred of evidence-based research to back their anti-queer, anti-trans policies. They can’t do it. The reason is because there’s none; there’s just an extremist, Moms for Liberty agenda.”
“Protecting our female athletes is not showing hate for our LGBT community; it means protecting our female athletes from serious injury,” said Barbara Vees, a school board candidate. “I applaud the board for taking proactive measures to make sure that this doesn’t happen.”
“I have personally spoken to girls who trained themselves to not go to the bathroom because they did not feel safe,” said Josh Hogan, a school board candidate. “Tonight, we become the first school district in Pennsylvania to protect both girls’ spaces and their sports together. That’s a powerful thing.”
The board’s discussion of the policy concerned the removal of a section that prohibited student athletes from being punished for refusing to play against a member of the opposite sex in order to give administration discretion over the matter. While touting her support for the policy, board member Joan Cullen raised concerns about the section’s removal, worrying that students could be punished due to the “political leanings” of an administrator.
“We see that happening out in society right now — female athletes being subjected to these situations where they have to compete against biological males or change with them in locker rooms and are facing repercussions for speaking out or are told to stay silent,” said Cullen.
Cullen also disputed the absence of research behind the policy, arguing that there is “plenty of research” about biological differences between the sexes and the harm of gender-affirming care for minors.
“There’s a lot of research about the damage done to minors who are given hormone therapy and surgical procedures,” said Cullen. “Other countries have reversed their gender affirmation practices, so to say that the research doesn’t exist is completely disingenuous.”
Following the discussion, the board unanimously approved the policy.
The board also tabled a motion to weed library books from Seylar Elementary due to “physical condition” or “infrequent use.” The decision follows a recent Common Pleas Court ruling that the district “altered records” to effectuate a “cover-up” of book removals.
The lawsuit was filed by Pennridge parent Darren Laustsen after he discovered that several books targeted by the board and conservative advocacy group Moms for Liberty were checked out for extended periods of time before ending up on weeding lists.
After Laustsen filed an open records request for a complete list of books checked out by staff members, the district produced an incomplete report containing none of the controversial titles. The district later produced a second report showing that the books in question had been checked back in and then checked out again under student accounts on the day that the first report was generated. Suspecting that the district was attempting to hide the book removals, Laustsen filed an emergency petition with the court.
The court ultimately sided with Laustsen and ordered the district to produce the requested records and pay his legal fees.
At the meeting, board solicitor Michael Miller cast the blame on staff members and announced that a personnel investigation has been launched.
“Information provided by staff without the involvement of the board turned out to be incorrect and was remedied later,” said Miller. “There is a personnel investigation, and if someone has provided incorrect information, they will be held accountable.”
On another note, former Abington High School principal Angelo Berrios was officially sworn in as the district’s new superintendent. Berrios replaces outgoing superintendent David Bolton, who announced his retirement after going on emergency medical leave in June.
“I know you will be bringing in your can-do attitude and reassuring perspective in our pursuit to make sure that each student finds their way to success,” said board president David Reiss.
The next Pennridge school board meeting is on November 13. For more information, visit pennridge.org.