In southeastern Pennsylvania, a significant number of students at Perkiomen High School protested by walking out of class after the district school board voted to allow transgender students to use whichever restrooms they prefer.
The decision was made with a narrow 5-4 vote on September 11, against a policy that would require students to use restrooms corresponding to their biological sex. This issue was brought up after a concerned father, Tim Jagger, noticed his daughter was uncomfortable and scared to use the restroom as she believed a boy was using the girls’ restroom.
Jagger stated, “So after a couple of days, I asked her if she noticed anything else, and she said that she just wasn’t using the bathrooms there anymore, so she doesn’t know.” After contacting the district officials, he was informed that students were allowed to use restrooms that matched their gender identity. Jagger’s 14-year-old freshman daughter was given the option to use a single-person restroom.
The situation escalated when Jagger shared his concerns on Facebook, leading to surprise from other parents and community members. He addressed the issue at a school board meeting where several members admitted they were unaware of the policy. Among the protesting students was 17-year-old senior, Brandon Corner, who sought answers from Superintendent Barbara Russell but felt his questions were not satisfactorily addressed.
Brandon’s mother, Melanie Corner, expressed concern about the impact of the policy on non-LGBTQ students, stating, “Their rights should be addressed but not at the expense of taking away the rights of the non-LGBTQ students. They shouldn’t be asked to give up their right to privacy to accommodate 12 students, especially when the school has three designated bathrooms for these students to use.”
In response to the controversy, the policy committee is scheduled to meet at the Perkiomen Valley High School media center and library.
