University of Kansas students protest decision to end gender-inclusive housing in scholarship hall
Residents of the Grace Pearson scholarship hall and other students protest Feb. 26, 2025, outside of Strong Hall in support of gender-inclusive housing. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)
LAWRENCE — University of Kansas students are grappling with the decision to end gender-inclusive housing assignments at a campus scholarship hall.
Grace Pearson residents and other KU students protested last week outside of Strong Hall with signs that read 'We're All Jayhawks' and 'Keep Inclusivity Affordable.' The group also launched a petition against the change in policy, and decorated windows with Post-its and signs that the university requested they remove.
KU notified residents of Grace Pearson Hall on Feb. 5 that floors will be segregated by gender in the next school year. That means transgender and nonbinary students who want a gender-inclusive assignment, or GIA, will need to relocate.
'There's stuff going on on campus like this. Usually you can go home and feel better about it or distract yourself. But with this, it's like we're living in this space where it's happening. There is no escape,' said five-year resident Rhoswyn Hicks. 'Seeing a community that really had trans joy within student housing falling apart has been really difficult.'
On Monday, students spoke at the Higher Learning Commission accreditation during an open forum for students to voice their concerns.
'The university has a responsibility to respect and care for students regardless of their gender identity,' Hicks said. 'We would be happy to see the other students in this room take up arms with us and help us in our cause.'
In the initial email sent to residents, KU Housing said communal bathrooms would become gender-segregated and that gender-inclusive housing assignments would no longer be available. Residents were given two options: either stay and select living on a male or female floor, or request GIA housing elsewhere. Other options include living in the Rainbow Community, which offers suites that are significantly more expensive than scholarship halls. K.K. Amani Hall would have 'some' GIA rooms available, according to KU Housing.
Residents were given five days to make the decision.
'It feels like there's no space for me,' said resident Simon Davis. 'It feels as though they don't care that I'm here because I am nonbinary. I don't like being assigned or shoved into a category, which is kind of what I have to deal with. I don't like being categorized as a woman, but I care a lot about GP's community, so I will stay. It sucks though.'
On Feb. 13, KU Housing sent a follow-up email to residents to clarify reasons for the changes. According to the email sent by Sarah Waters, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, multi-stalled bathrooms in residential dormitory buildings are required by International Building Code to have separate facilities based on sex.
'We understand the impact this change has on the community,' Waters said in the email. 'We will continue to support our residents in navigating this change to meet their housing needs.'
The email goes on to say that residents who observe other residents using the incorrect bathroom or housing assignment should report the issue. Residents were recommended to apply for GIA housing at K.K. Amani Hall, which costs $518 more per academic year.
Directors at Grace Pearson and Amani halls did not respond to a request for comment.
Resident assistant Anthony Alvarez has lived in Grace Pearson for three years and been an RA for two. He became an RA to be a friend to those throughout the hall. He said he intended not to enforce the changes with his residents to the best of his ability.
'If you were a staff member, you would be looking to enforce that and we don't know what that looks like,' said Alvarez. 'The most they told us would be an incident report and policy. If you get a certain amount of incident reports, you could get kicked out. However, your job as an RA ties you to the building, your housing and your job. If they fire you, you don't have a place to live.'
Residents of Grace Pearson plan to continue spreading awareness to fellow students.
'It looks like outreach getting more people to know about what's going on,' Hicks said. 'I guess if housing continues to not respond, likely more protests where we feel we will reach the best audience, or larger audience for this issue.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Emmitsburg to allow new type of student housing downtown
Students will be allowed to live in the Village Zone in the town of Emmitsburg in residences with six or more bedrooms. The policy does not apply to homes with five or fewer bedrooms, since those types of living arrangements are considered boarding homes in the town code. Designations of student housing of this type are to be awarded as zoning special exceptions by the Board of Appeals and must not be within 500 feet of another boarding home or student housing units, according to the ordinance. Additional conditions of student housing for those enrolled in post-secondary schools include one off-street parking space per bedroom, trash to be screened from public view and a maximum of one student per bedroom. All dwelling units must meet the requirements of the International Building Code. The ordinance came as a response to two rental properties owned by local businessman David Ott that totaled 11 units — surpassing the boarding house thresholds. The ordinance passed 3-2 on Monday. Commissioners Jim Hoover, Kevin Hagan and Cliff Sweeney voted in favor. Commissioners Amy Boehman-Pollitt and Valerie Turnquist voted against. Hagan said the ordinance was more about preventing development in the future that might change the character of the community of West Main Street and destroy the historic, charming nature. He added that a more robust student housing bill may need to be passed later to address all forms of housing that students from Mount St. Mary's University may choose, but the ordinance would provide assurances to landowners in the near term. 'We're putting off the good for the perfect and we may never find the perfect,' Hagan said. 'The longer we wait, the more it costs everyone. We're running up everybody's legal fees here.' Boehman-Pollitt said amending the ordinance with a rental registration bill later to put more restrictions on student housing was like 'putting the cart before the horse.' 'I don't see how it is the town's problem to make sure a landlord gets to maximize their profit, so much as what is our town vision?' she said. 'If we want it limited, it should be stated ahead of time.' Turnquist said the policy was 'so vague' that it would not adequately solve the issue for any parties involved. 'I'm not opposed to students living in town, but I think we need to protect the quality of life for our residents by ensuring a policy that's fair and equitable to all,' she said. During the public comments period, two residents spoke out against student housing, while Gerard Joyce, Mount St. Mary's president, asked the council to continue building the relationship between the town and the Mount. 'We want to be part of this community, if you'll have us,' Joyce said. He added that living off campus was not a matter of scarcity of on-campus housing, but a step in the development of life skills for students looking to live independently and frequent local stores and restaurants, adding to the vibrancy of downtown life. 'Part of our mission is producing ethical leaders with service to God and others — you're the others in this scenario,' Joyce said. 'I want you to be as proud of our students as we are.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Trans student sues University of Kansas after being fired for speaking to media about housing policy
Residents of the Grace Pearson scholarship hall and other students protest Feb. 26, 2025, outside of Strong Hall in support of gender-inclusive housing. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — An interview with a news outlet cost a former University of Kansas resident assistant his job and his home. Now, he's suing the university for violating his free speech rights. The lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday says KU restricted Anthony Alvarez' speech and fired him without cause in retaliation. Alvarez, who is trans, talked to a media outlet on Feb. 26 during a campus protest over the university's decision to end Grace Pearson Scholarship Hall's gender-inclusive living arrangements. Alvarez, a 21-year-old student, expressed his frustration with the elimination of inclusive spaces where students feel safe. While he identified himself as a proctor, akin to a resident assistant, he did not claim to speak in his official capacity as a resident assistant for KU. The university placed Alvarez on probation for failing to refer media inquiries to senior KU staff. Before the window to appeal the probation closed, Alvarez was subsequently fired from his position, and he was forced to rescind an offer to continue as a proctor the next academic year. 'I think it's a bad sign that for infractions as little as this, you could get fired and kicked out and very quickly find yourself in a position where you have to find a place to live,' Alvarez told Kanas Reflector in April. The lawsuit argues Alvarez 'engaged in protected speech by speaking to a member of the media in their capacity as a private citizen on a matter of public concern — specifically by criticizing Defendant KU's policies and practices related to housing policies for LGBTQ+ community members as applied to recent state and federal legislative directives.' Precedent for resident assistants, who are students and employees of a university, fired for speech is largely undeveloped. However, First Amendment challenges, added restrictions and demands for universities and rollbacks of LGBTQ+ rights are becoming commonplace under President Donald Trump's second administration. A vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Alvarez testified in January against a bill in the Kansas Legislature that bans gender-affirming care for minors and restricts the use of state funds for promoting gender transitioning. The bill made it through the House and Senate, was vetoed by Gov. Laura Kelly and ultimately became law after the Republican-controlled Legislature overrode the veto. Representing Alvarez is Barry Grissom, former U.S. Attorney for Kansas, who argued in the complaint that as a result of KU's actions, Alvarez experienced a 'loss of living quarters, income, reputational damage, emotional distress, and the deprivation of constitutionally protected rights.' Grissom filed suit not only to address the university's retaliation toward Alvarez but also to garner a judgment from the court on whether the policy that led to Alvarez' probation and termination is constitutional, Grissom said in a Thursday news release. 'Terminating a public employee after they speak to the media and criticize that employer's policies is certainly in line with some of the challenges we have seen of late to the First Amendment, one of the bedrock principles of the American legal system,' Grissom said in a statement to Kansas Reflector. He continued: 'Speech that the government does not agree with is exactly the kind which the First Amendment was intended to protect — yet each day, there are seemingly more people affected by policies like the one which cost Mr. Alvarez his job.' The lawsuit names KU; Sarah Waters, executive director of KU housing and resident life; and Emily Chellgren, assistant director of resident life, as defendants. Multiple attempts beginning Friday morning to reach KU for comment for this story were unsuccessful. By Friday afternoon, most staff members had set up out-of-office messages for Memorial Day weekend. KU also did not respond to requests to comment in past coverage of this story. Alvarez is asking for a jury trial in Kansas City, Kansas, and compensation for damages and attorney and case-related expenses.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘We are heartbroken': KU alumna killed in Washington, D.C. shooting
LAWRENCE (KSNT) – A former student of the University of Kansas is dead after a shooting near a museum in Washington D.C., Wednesday night. Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky died in a shooting close by the Capital Jewish Museum on May 21. Milgrim and Lischinsky were a couple set to be engaged and part of the staff at the Israeli embassy in the nation's capital. Three disgraced Kansas priests named in new abuse reports Chabad at KU released a statement on Thursday, May 22, following the attack. The organization confirmed that Milgrim was a former student at the University of Kansas. 'We are heartbroken to share the tragic loss of KU alumna and beloved KU Chabad community member Sarah Milgrim, who was murdered in a terrorist attack in Washington, D.C., alongside her beloved partner, Yaron Lischinsky. Sarah was a proud Jewhawk, a graduate of the University of Kansas, and an active, deeply loved member of our KU Jewish community. She joined us often for Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, and countless Jewish programs, always bringing her warm smile, gentle spirit, and deep passion for her Jewish heritage. Sarah was a shining light – kind, graceful, and deeply committed to peace, and the well-being of others. While we are still in shock and disbelief, we must not give in to panic or despair. We are the Jewish people – a collective affirmation of life. In the face of this darkness, we respond by adding light: with acts of kindness, mitzvot, and love. Let us honor the memories of Sarah and Yaron, and bring more goodness into the world – because that's what we Jews do. Now is the time to turn pain into purpose. Let's increase in unity, reach out to someone we've drifted from, and stand tall in our Jewish pride. Add a mitzvah in their memory, and let the world see that our response to hate is more life, more light, and more love.' Chabad at KU social media statement. Wamego Caterpillar facility changes ownership, hundreds of local jobs saved The American Jewish Committee (AJC) reported that Milgrim was a native of Overland Park, Kansas and that she was committed to peacebuilding. She was pursuing graduate studies at American University's School of International Service. 'We are heartbroken by the loss of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, beloved members of the AJC community, who were murdered last night outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., following AJC's annual Young Diplomats Reception. We mourn with their families, friends, and all who knew and loved them. May their memories be a blessing.' AJC social media statement excerpt. A suspect in the shooting was taken into custody and reportedly acted alone. D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters the suspect allegedly approached a group of four people, pulled out a handgun and opened fire. The suspect allegedly yelled, 'Free, free Palestine' after he was taken into custody, according to a report from The Associated Press. Parole decision reversed for man who killed Kansas state trooper For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
