MLSD suspends protections for trans students
Mar. 24—MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District school board suspended policy 3211, which protects transgender students from harassment, intimidation and bullying, at the March 20 regular board meeting.
The board also sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education asking for federal intervention for the contradictions between federal and state laws and policies regarding transgender students in athletics, bathrooms and dressing rooms.
"The biggest thing that (the policy suspension) is going to do is keep biological boys out of female sports and out of girls' private dressing rooms and restrooms," Board Chair Kirryn Jensen told the Columbia Basin Herald.
MLSD district staff have said they are unaware of any transgender students participating in athletics.
Prior to the vote, local resident Matthew Paluch recommended the board be more cautious about the issue considering MLSD's financial position that it is still recovering from, and reminded the board to consider students' mental health. He said that, while he understood the board is trying to do what they feel is best, there are concerns that should be factored in.
"The primary responsibility of the school district is to educate children, " Paluch said. "Currently, there are no transgender girls competing in girls sports in Moses Lake. Changing the district policy in a way that violates state law would allow the state to withhold funding, which would effectively shut down the district due to the financial situation the district is in."
It is uncertain how exactly the policy suspension will impact funding for MLSD or its students' ability to participate in Washington Interscholastic Activities Association-run events. The Columbia Basin Herald is reaching out to OSPI and WIAA to gather more information on those issues.
Paluch strongly cautioned the board against making the decision to suspend the policy.
"You cannot afford to have any state funds withheld, and there is no reserve to cover operations during any interruption of state funding, the state has nothing to lose if they decide to make an example of the district, but we have everything to lose," he said.
Previously
At the previous March 5 board meeting, the board voted unanimously to send a letter to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction Superintendent Chris Reykdal, Attorney General Nick Brown and Governor Bob Ferguson regarding the district changing its policies to align with federal law, instead of state law for transgender athletes.
According to Jensen, the letter was written by a concerned citizen. She said she cannot disclose who the citizen is.
OSPI's Equity and Civil Rights Office responded to the district's letter March 6. The letter reiterated that the board's intention to limit athletic eligibility based on gender identity contradicted state nondiscrimination laws enshrined in Chapters 28A.640 and 28A.642 of the Revised Code of Washington. OSPI said if the board or district is unable to "voluntarily resolve these concerns" OSPI may take further action in regard to the district's new policies.
The Columbia Basin Herald published an article about both of these letters, which can be found here: bit.ly/CBHTransgender.
Warden School District has sent letters similar to the MLSD documents to both Washington state and federal agencies.
Policy 3211
The MLSD board suspended policy 3211. Board Member Ryan Coulston voted in opposition to the suspension, while the other four board members voted in favor.
The policy reads: "State law requires the district to adopt a policy and procedure that do the following: (1) incorporate the office of the superintendent of public instruction's rules and guidelines developed under RCW 28A.642.020 to eliminate discrimination in Washington public schools on the basis of gender identity and expression; (2) address the unique challenges and needs faced by transgender students in public schools; and (3) describe the application of the district policy and procedure prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying to transgender students."
The link to the policy can be found here: bit.ly/MLSDPolicy3211.
Jensen said she is unsure what the next steps will be for the district. The policy is only suspended, which means it can be edited and reinstated or the board could choose to eliminate it permanently.
"A lot of it is going to depend on what happens in the upcoming weeks," Jensen said. "We don't know what the state is going to do. We don't know what the federal government is going to do. There is just so much happening here right now, that we just don't know."
There was a lot of discussion prior to the vote on the policy between board members, as well as two public comments addressing the matter.
"You know, the topic in my mind is directly related to discrimination by race, by skin color. I mean, if we're, if we are allowing the, I guess, segregation from girls' sports and allowing just anybody to enter girls' sports or girls often lose their restrooms, that, in my mind, is the same as we have a race issue," Jensen said. "If that follows in the same train of thought, for me, it's worth discriminating and not giving girls an able and fair chance."
However, Coulston then brought up a statistic made in a public comment earlier in the night that more than half of transgender and nonbinary students have seriously considered suicide and nearly one in five have attempted suicide.
"The statistic that was shared earlier was that at least half of the LGBTQ+ community has contemplated suicide, and I think that that's probably extremely low because I grew up in a two-parent household with a Christian background," Coulston said. "I had my athletics that kept me busy, I had my church that kept me busy, and I contemplated suicide too. I had every reason not to, right? And so, growing up, there's still issues that we need to work through, mental health issues."
Coulston said the board should be focusing on policies to prevent bullying and protect all students, regardless of their identity. Coulston then voted no on the policy saying he would like further time to review the policy's pros and cons. He then asked what the goal and timeline of suspending the policy was.
"No timeline," Jensen said. "As you know, if you've been watching the news, we have no idea what is going to happen in an hour, let alone tomorrow, for sure. So, I think at this point, just the fact that it is suspended can give us some time to really just kind of muddle through the rest of it. I think we have a lot to talk about, and it can come or go with any faction of this. So I mean, there is just so much that goes into it and there is so much happening right now that we just don't know."
Another Letter
The board also decided, unanimously, to send a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education asking for federal intervention for the contradictions between federal and state law regarding transgender students in athletics, bathrooms and dressing rooms.
The letter can be found here: bit.ly/MLSDMarch20Letter.
The letter opens by saying the board has decided to send this letter regarding recent directives by the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education Craig Trainor and an executive order from President Donald J. Trump. The letter says the board took immediate action to follow federal policy and unanimously voted March 6 to follow said directives.
"On March 6th, 2025, our District received an email from the State of Washington, Superintendent of Public Instruction," reads the letter. "This letter and our current State Law puts our school district in conflict with the directives by the Federal Government, and the President of the United States. The Moses Lake Board of Directors is seeking your guidance and help in this urgent matter."
The letter said MLSD intends to follow the directives from the federal level by removing policies that contradict the federal policies.
"The Moses Lake School district is a small school district in Washington State with approximately 8,000 students," reads the letter. "We do not have the resources or want to use the limited resources meant for the children we serve, to be used in endless litigation against Governor Bob Ferguson, or Superintendent Chris Reykdal."
The letter concludes by saying that Washington State law allows transgender individuals to use whatever bathroom facility or locker room they prefer, which the board claims violates the civil liberties of the female students in their care.
None of the letters address transgender students who were born biologically female at birth and may be transitioning from female to male.
Paluch said he felt the issue was one that MLSD shouldn't be stepping in the middle of unnecessarily.
"Making policy changes mentioned in your letter to the governor and OSPI would be mismanagement, and it would violate your primary duty of ensuring students are receiving an education since none of the students in the district have been directly affected by transgender girls competing girls sports, I don't think it's appropriate for the district to risk everything to take a stand on this issue," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
'It's a class war': Hundreds rally over Tacoma Public Schools budget, staff cuts
The Brief Tacoma Public Schools is facing a $30 million budget shortfall, leading to non-renewal of 105 provisional contracts. Critics argue budget cuts unfairly target low-paid workers, while high-paid officials remain unaffected. The district says it's working to reassign displaced employees to other positions within Tacoma Public Schools. TACOMA, Wash. - Hundreds of people came out to the "Support Our Students" rally and marched to the Tacoma Public Schools' Central Administration Building on Thursday. The backstory As Tacoma Public Schools faces a $30 million budget shortfall, the district released a statement on May 16 saying it notified 105 provisional certificated employees that their contracts were not renewed for the 2025-2026 school year. "What we're seeing from Tacoma Public Schools isn't fiscal responsibility, it's a class war," said Connor Griswold, an Education Support Professional (ESP) within the district. Critics at the rally say the district is balancing the budget on the backs of their lowest paid workers and that cuts need to be made at the top, calling out cabinet members making hundreds of thousands of dollars. "ESPs are skipping meals to buy school supplies, teachers are working second jobs instead of doing curriculum management, students are losing bilingual staff because [Tacoma Public Schools] would rather protect six-figure consultants." said Griswold. Rosalind Medina, Chief Financial Officer for Tacoma Public Schools, gave an update on the budget, saying the district is "dangerously" close to getting into binding conditions with OSPI and that these cuts were made to avoid that situation. "We have been making contractive cuts over the last several years. We have run out of the easy stuff to make reductions to," said Medina. Medina quickly apologized for describing the notifications as "easy stuff" but people who spoke out during public comment were not swayed by the update. "Know that many of your staff, like the families we serve, got to get food banks and assistance just to keep the lights on to survive," said Gwen Lewandowski, an Education Support Professional. "If I work three jobs, pay my rent, raise a kid as a single mom and I can figure out my budget, y'all get paid to figure out yours." Tacoma Public Schools says it is working with some displaced workers to fill other positions within the district. The Source Information in this story came from Tacoma Public Schools and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews. Luxury Seattle hotel sues 'nuisance' building next door Firefighters in western WA train for possibility of 'above average' wildfire season Shawn Kemp lawyers claim bias in Tacoma Mall shooting case as trial nears Federal judge blocks Trump's dismantling of the Department of Education 'Where is Teekah?': Mother speaks out after Tacoma, WA cold case Activist marks 2 weeks in tree to protest logging near Port Angeles Driver arrested after deadly crash in Kent, WA To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fear and defiance are this Washington's response to Trump's education funding threats
(Photo by Getty Images) No one is certain yet how federal decisions under the Trump administration will affect both budgets and policies of Washington's public schools. But educators, parents and government officials in this Washington are tracking closely whether President Donald Trump makes good on his threats to cut funding to states that do not prove they have abandoned K-12 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Fear, anger and defiance have been the response here so far. The fear runs deep. The defiance comes from the top: the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction or OSPI. Although most of the districts I reached out to for this story weren't interested in discussing their plans for navigating these issues, education consultant Erin Jones told me that at a recent meeting with King County superintendents, officials were worried. 'They are concerned about budget cuts. But they are most concerned about the uncertainty. That's the point of this administration: uncertainty. That leaves them in such a bad place,' Jones recalled. 'These leaders want to do right by their children and their staff.' The U.S. Education Department sent a letter to state education agencies in February, accusing schools of promoting diversity in a way that unfairly harmed white and Asian American students. In support of this statement, they cited a 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned using race as an element in college admissions. That case didn't mention K-12 schools, but that didn't stop the Trump administration from using it as a reason why Washington and other states shouldn't be providing extra academic support for students of color. In early April, the U.S. Education Department doubled down, with another letter. This one demanded proof that states were following their DEI orders. Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal's response reaffirmed this state's strong commitment to embracing its diversity and making sure every student gets the help they need. 'Recognition of our diversity is a cornerstone of public education. It makes us stronger, more civil, and it empowers groups of students who have historically been marginalized or denied equal opportunities,' Reykdal said in a statement. He confirmed that these efforts are paying off in higher graduation and college participation rates for everyone. Plus, Reykdal added, every student benefits from the diversity in our schools. 'Washington will not suppress its core values or cede our right to determine our own education system to the federal government,' he said. In just a few words, he underscored a key facet of American education: states, not the federal government, take the lead in determining what their children will learn in public schools. Reykdal's office continues to draw attention from the Trump administration. Later in April, the Department of Education said it would investigate OSPI over 'requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities.' This followed the federal agency scrutinizing OSPI over how it handled a years-long controversy surrounding the gender-inclusion policy at the La Center School District in Clark County. Jones, the education consultant, said she hasn't met a leader yet who is not committed to continuing diversity, equity and inclusion work. Some are renaming it, opting instead for terms like 'community building.' Another consequence of Trump era rhetoric and policies that Jones has been hearing about is decreased attendance by Latino students. 'No matter what the principal has said that we're going to protect you from ICE, why should they trust you?' she asked. 'I think we're afraid for good reason,' Jones added. Trish Millines Dziko, executive director of the Technology Access Foundation, a Seattle-based nonprofit offering supplemental STEM education in public schools and after-school programs, has also heard that Latino attendance has dropped. And the parents of children who are showing up for school don't want them participating in field trips. So far, this is just anecdotal evidence. Detailed attendance data probably won't be available to the public until next year. Dziko believes the full impact of the Trump administration on education won't be understood for months or even years. 'There's a lot of anxiety,' said Dziko, who has overheard immigrant children as well as LGBTQ students and staff talking to each other. 'They're all very close to each other and they worry about each other. …I don't know if it's stopping education from happening. But you can hear the conversations between some of the kids.' After reaching out to about half the districts in the Puget Sound region, plus some in eastern Washington, only one was willing to put someone on the phone to talk to me. Dziko and others I talked to felt this lack of response was born out of fear. The state's largest school district is choosing to carry on and keep working to lift up every child from every background despite threats from the Trump administration. Seattle Public School's Black education program manager, Anita Koyier-Mwamba, pointed to Head Start office closures and the president's DEI orders as examples of factors fueling uncertainty. Still, she believes the difficulties should not stop educators from using this time as a teachable moment. 'It is really important to me that we recognize that history has left us a wonderful catalog of opportunities to explore.' And then she took a delightful path into American history and the young men like Thomas Jefferson who were so passionate about democracy but didn't do everything right 250 years ago, although they were trying to solve the problems of their time. Why does she want us to think about the 19- and 20-year-olds sitting around debating the birth of a nation? Because it's a good reminder that young people can think for themselves and should have an opportunity to do so. 'It is unjust not to give our young people the opportunity to … solve the problems of their time,' Koyier-Mwamba said. And that comes down to a discussion about justice that must account for the nation's past. This is American history, not diversity indoctrination: The enslavement of people kidnapped and brought here to work the land. The way we have treated the indigenous people before and after the United States became a country. How the Constitution treated enslaved people when the founders couldn't agree to take a better path. The Civil War and what happened to enslaved people afterward. Fifty years between giving white women and Black women the right to vote. 'Focusing on our shared humanity is an avenue to reconsider how we respond in these times of challenge,' Koyier-Mwamba said. Part of that is choosing to be optimistic, deciding to see the light in the darkness through American heroes like abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Similarly, Dziko sees an opportunity to rethink how we do things as a state and a nation. Making sure every student gets the education they need to succeed is not an impossible goal. Dziko believes, and I agree, that state dollars for education could be distributed in a way that focuses more on equity. 'Our kids deserve better,' Dziko said, adding that education reform is directly related to state budget reform because it will take more money to create a more equitable system. The 29-year-old Technology Access Foundation does not get federal grants, so Dziko is not concerned about backlash from the federal government. Where the Trump administration pushes against DEI programs because they say they unfairly advantage Black and Brown people, Dziko and I see racism. 'The whole thing has been reduced to, 'If you are Black, then you did not deserve the position you're in.' That's a very dangerous viewpoint,' she said. Unfortunately, this viewpoint isn't new. Dziko is worried about how far back we will go. Before the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education that ruled racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional? 'I'm always the eternal optimist in my family, but I'm not this time around,' Dziko said. 'We're going backwards,' she added. Jones is also feeling pessimistic. 'They want to make America in their image, and their image is white straight men,' said Jones. 'They've done a really good job of making everything DEI that they just don't like,' she said. 'I've really been grieving.' Like Dziko, while she rejects the Republican vision for education, she is also not satisfied with the status quo. 'Republicans say burn it all down, it all sucks. That is not a strategy. The Democrats don't have a vision,' she said. 'Let's all talk about it. So we have something to activate us. Just saying I don't want this is not enough. We need people with vision who are imagining a better way forward.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
What the State Superintendent says on federal investigation into WA's non-discrimination school laws
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) issued a letter requesting states to certify compliance with the Department's interpretation of federal civil rights guidelines, or risk losing federal funding. Following that letter, the DOE and the Department of Justice are launching a 'first-of-its kind' investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) over the state's non-discrimination laws for schools. The suit alleges that OSPI is out of compliance with Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). 'Multiple Washington State school districts have reported that OSPI is requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities, thereby raising substantial Title IX concerns,' a DOE press release said. U.S. Secretary of Education, former WWE promoter Linda McMahon, said that the state 'appears to use its position of authority to coerce its districts into hiding 'gender identity' information from students' parents and to adopt policies to covertly smuggle gender ideology into the classroom, confusing students and letting boys into girls' sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms.' In response, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said that the investigation is the 'latest [Trump] Administration's dangerous war against individuals who are transgender or gender-expansive.' 'Washington public schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, including transgender and gender-expansive students, so that all students can thrive. Since 2006, Washington state law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and the state has allowed students to participate in school-based athletics in alignment with their gender identity since 2007. These protections fit within the scope of what is allowed by federal law and have been successfully established and implemented for nearly two decades. Transgender and gender-expansive students are not the only students affected by gender and gender stereotypes at school. When schools affirmatively support gender diversity, all students are empowered to live more authentically and to take advantage of different opportunities that might not have otherwise been available," Reykdal said, in part, in a statement. McMahon said that the schools must 'abide by the law if they expect federal funding to continue.' Reykdal continued his statement with: A student's school should be a safe place where they can learn, thrive, and be their authentic self, and family involvement and acceptance are extremely beneficial to all students. Unfortunately, it is not safe for all individuals to open up to their family regarding gender identity, and family rejection related to an individual's gender identity results in increased odds of a suicide attempt and/or misusing drugs or alcohol. It is not the role of the school system to facilitate private conversations that should be happening between students and their parents or guardians, and the federal government should not force schools to play the role of parents when it comes to gender identity.
