Latest news with #District203
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville D203 board meeting packed with supporters/opponents of transgender student athletes
For the second time in a month, a Naperville District 203 School Board meeting was packed by people supporting and opposed to a transgender student athlete's right to participate in a girl's track meet. For nearly 90 minutes Monday, attendees debated the rights of students to participate in school sports aligned with their chosen gender following a junior high school track meet at which a transgender student reportedly raced alongside girls and won some of the events. Awake Illinois filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights alleging the district violated Title IX safeguards for 'engaging in sex-based discrimination within education programs or activities that receive federal funding.' Members of Awake Illinois and their supporters Monday held bright yellow signs with such messages as 'Stop Exploiting Kids,' 'Freeze Federal Funds' and 'Defend Title IX,' and argued that allowing trans students to participate in girls' sports harms female athletes and their access to fair competition. Shannon Adcock, a Naperville resident who founded Awake Illinois, said the U.S. Department of Education announced it is recognizing June as Title IX Month in honor of the the 53rd anniversary of the law. Title IX provides women protections on the basis of sex in all educational activities, including their rights to equal opportunity in sports and sex-segregated intimate spaces, according to a news release Monday from the U.S. Department of Education. 'Throughout the month (of June), the department will highlight actions taken to reverse the Biden administration's legacy of undermining Title IX and announce additional actions to protect women in line with the true purpose of Title IX,' the release said. June is also Pride Month, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ supporters, who waved transgender rights flags and carried signs promoting inclusion, told the school board that excluding trans girls hurts an already marginalized community, who are at a greater risk for violence, sexual assault and suicide. 'Nobody voluntarily signs up to be bullied to the level that trans students are by both other children and adults,' said Charlee Friedman, director of operations for Trans Up Front, adding that families in the district asked for the organization's support to advocate for their children. Friedman said 21 trans children in Illinois have committed suicide this year. Bullying 'has become so emboldened since the Trump administration,' she said. 'We are here to protect children, to protect their lives,' Friedman said. Several speakers denounced Awake Illinois for spreading videos of the track meet and the minor student's image on social media. Derek Miller said he was disappointed by the behavior of some adults in the community. 'There were adults sharing photos, videos and the name of this student at the center of the controversy, and this is a child,' he said. '… I want to emphasize these are children who are being attacked.' While he understands points on both sides of the issue, some might be promoting the issue in order to 'go viral' or to appear on cable news stations, Miller said. 'That is disgusting, and it needs to stop,' he said. 'Our kids should not be treated as political pawns.' 'They outed, targeted and doxxed a transgender girl in your district … all because she ran in a track meet and won,' Peter Rivera said. 'Some parents were upset and instead of dealing with it privately like adults, they handed the child over to a hate group. There are good faith arguments about integrating trans athletes in their sports, but this wasn't a discussion. This was a smear campaign, a lynching, a coordinated effort to shame and endanger a teenager.' Diana Piedra said it was shameful Awake Illinois shared videos of the athlete. 'The only way to fight hate is with love,' she said. Other speakers Monday said girls' rights were being infringed by allowing trans athletes to participate in their sports. 'Most of America believes girls sports should be protected,' Adcock said. '… Boys sports. Girls sports. It is that simple.' Laura Hois, a Naperville Central graduate and co-chair of the Downers Grove chapter of Awake Illinois, said 'boys are boys and pretending they are girls is a lie.' Trans rights does not supersede the rights of female athletes,' Hois said. 'I think it's terribly sad and tragic that today this District 203 is allowing boys to intrude in girls sports,' she said. 'District 203 is subjecting itself to liability for violation of girls' constitutional rights, for violation of civil rights laws, for violation of Title IX and violation of common sense.' Some speakers said just because someone was born male doesn't mean they have an automatic physical advantage over girls. 'Exclusion invites gender policing that could subject any girl to invasive tests or accusations of being too masculine or too good at her sport … to be a 'real girl,'' Tim Rhodes said. 'Trans athletes and cis gender athletes all vary in ability as do we all.'
Fox News
2 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Illinois school board meeting madness continues as tensions escalate over trans athletes in girls' sports
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). An Illinois school district's board meeting was overtaken by opposing protesters for the second time on Monday night amid erupting tensions over trans athletes in girls' sports. The community has been embroiled in a growing divide after a junior high trans athlete won three girls' track and field events in May. The Naperville Community Unit District 203's board meeting saw nearly its entire three-hour duration dedicated to impassioned debates over the issue. The district's last board meeting on May 21 saw the same situation play out, prompting national attention. During Monday's gathering, like the last meeting, the seats were packed with community members of conflicting cultures, as half the room wielded transgender pride flags, while the other half raised "Protect Girls Sports" signs. Several speeches eventually erupted into loud boisterous lectures, while nearly every speech was met with a roaring applause from half the room. A pro-transgender speaker named Patty Drugan asserted that the conservative activist group Awake Illinois was causing transgender youth to commit suicide in the state, while defending the trans junior high student at the center of the controversy. "You need to take a look at Awake Illinois' website, and those are the reasons why these children are committing suicide!" Drugan said. "The shame is on all of you because for those of you who didn't disrespect that child, those of you who didn't stand up for that child, the shame is all on you!" Another pro-transgender speaker named James Katchmeric claimed that the rhetoric to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports was "Nazi stuff." "I learned what happened in World War II, and I found that trans people were the ones who were attacked first. So this is Nazi stuff," Katchmeric said. " The pro-transgender protesters sitting in the front row turned their backs to the "Protect Girls Sports" speakers at the lectern during their speeches throughout the night. Multiple speakers there to oppose trans inclusion in girls' sports wore shirts from the activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics. Awake Illinois founder Shannon Adcock wore an XX-XY Athletics shirt, vowed to protect girls' sports and asserted the federal government's authority takes precedence over the state's laws that protect trans inclusion. "We are going to protect these children and Title IX will reign supreme. Federal supremacy exists, it doesn't matter how many times people wish a certain state statute can overrule federal law, it cannot," Adcock said. Illinois law has protected the right of biological males to compete in girls' and women's sports since 2006. After President Donald Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order on Feb. 5, Illinois state GOP lawmakers sent a letter to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) asking when it would comply with the order. However, the IHSA responded saying Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity. So the issue has persisted in the state, while many families and lawmakers are calling for Trump's administration to intervene, as it has in Maine and California so far. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., addressed a second letter on May 21 to the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice asking for federal intervention into the issue. Miller previously sent a letter in April asking for intervention. Miller's latest letter asks U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to specifically look into the Naperville incident and consider pulling federal funding from the state, as seen in a copy obtained by Fox News Digital. School board meetings have been a platform for invoking that intervention in the state so far. Currently, there is one federal Title IX probe in Illinois regarding transgenders impeding on female spaces, but it is only against one school. Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after middle school girls were allegedly forced by school administrators to change in front of a trans student in the girls' locker room. Illinois mother Nicole Georgas brought light to the situation in March after filing a complaint to the Justice Department and then delivering a school board meeting speech that went viral on social media. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
NBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Transgender athlete's win at Illinois middle school track meet sparks heated debate
Debate over a transgender student's win in a middle school girls track meet grew heated at a school board meeting in suburban Illinois this week. The meet took place at Jefferson Middle School in Naperville, about 30 miles west of Chicago, where the student athlete won multiple events, becoming a microcosm of a national debate over trans athletes in sports. During public comment at a Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board meeting Monday, nearly 100 parents could be seen in the audience, some raising transgender pride flags, others holding signs that read 'Protect Girls Sports' and 'Stop Exploiting Kids.' At one point, an audience member could be heard shouting 'Protect trans youth' before being escorted out of the meeting. Parents opposed to the student's participation in the meet have asked for federal funds to be frozen at District 203 until the board changes course on its athletics policies, arguing they are in violation of Title IX. Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funds. Awake Illinois, a nonprofit organization advocating against gender-affirming care for minors, filed a federal civil rights complaint against the district over the meet. Parents who spoke in the meeting argued the student's participation 'creates an unfair playing field for our daughters' while others expressed support for the school's inclusive policy. Illinois' Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in educational settings in the state. 'Transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students often face barriers to participation in school athletics and other gender-based activities. Physical education, school sports teams, and school clubs are considered 'facilities, goods and services' under the Act and students are entitled to participate in these activities free from discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender-related identity,' the Illinois Department of Human Rights stated, adding that 'students cannot be prevented from access to, full participation in, or the equal enjoyment of extracurricular activities due to their gender-related identity.' In a statement, District 203 said it is 'committed to protecting the privacy of all students.' 'In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and district policy, we cannot and will not share personal or identifiable information about any student without appropriate consent,' the statement read. 'In regards to our procedures, Naperville 203 adheres to the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Illinois State Board of Education guidance, which prohibit discrimination in schools and ensure full and equal access to programs and services regardless of gender identity or other protected characteristics.' No action was taken at the meeting Monday. 'The initial reaction to start filing court cases with the Department of Justice and turn a 13-year-old or a 12-year-old's life into a just not a very humane thing to be doing,' Kristal Larson with the LGBTQ Center in Grayslake told NBC Chicago. Larson noted that a child's ability to participate in sports is pivotal to their mental health. Dr. Kelsey Leonardsmith, who treats transgender children from several states at the Family Tree Clinic in Minneapolis, and is a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, said transgender girls and women are already underrepresented in sports and make up just a tiny percentage of student athletes. She disputed the contention of critics that allowing them to participate in girls sports gives them unfair advantages and puts other girls in physical danger. 'Shutting out trans girls helps no one, and it is profoundly harmful to those it excludes,' Leonardsmith said. 'On the surface, it removes opportunities for physical activity, for fitness, for belonging. But on a more fundamental level, it says to trans youth, 'We do not believe you, you are not real,' and it is hard to imagine a more damaging message to send to children.' Cases of transgender athletes in women sports have been at the center of nationwide debates since President Donald Trump took office. In 2022, the NCAA used a sport-by-sport approach to allow transgender athletes to participate, deferring to an individual sport's national governing organization, international federation or prior established International Olympic Committee criteria. The NCAA changed its policy the day after Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 5 that was intended to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls and women's sports. That ended its sport-by-sport practice in favor of a blanket policy that only allows athletes assigned female at birth to participate in women's sports. The Illinois High School Association 'allows participation by students consistent with their gender identity subject to applicable federal and state laws,' though they have urged state officials to communicate with federal authorities to 'provide clear direction.' The Education Department has already opened reviews of San Jose State University volleyball, Denver Public Schools, Portland Public Schools, Oregon School Activities Association and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, among others.
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville councilman McBroom, DuPage GOP, Awake Illinois battle District 203 over transgender female athletes
Naperville City Councilman Josh McBroom and DuPage County Republicans are among those attacking Naperville School District 203 over a junior high track meet at which it's claimed one of the winning athletes was a transgender girl. In a case that has evoked hundreds of online comments and national media attention, Naperville-based Awake Illinois Monday filed a federal Title IX complaint against the district with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. 'Some of the girls were left in tears (at the May 14 track meet),' McBroom wrote in a May 16 post on his Naperville City Council Facebook page. 'And parents are speaking out — not from a political place, but as concerned moms and dads who care deeply about fairness for our daughters.' He also made it a city issue by questioning why the Naperville office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a department he has advocated for dissolving, did not speak out about the situation because 'residents deserve to see action when it matters most.' But it's also a subject that elicited support from area residents and the LGBTQ+ population and advocates, many of whom attended Monday's night's Naperville District 203 School Board meeting to laud the district for not yielding to the criticism. The situation is the latest in a series of complaints in Chicago and the suburbs centered on transgender students. Last month, Awake Illinois lodged similar allegations against Valley View District 365-U, which inspired passionate pleas in support of LGBTQ+ youth at a school board meeting for the Bolingbrook-Romeoville district. Chicago Public Schools and Deerfield Public Schools District 109 have also been subject to federal complaints over the past few months. Allegations against District 203 are tied to a junior high track meet held at Naperville North High School last week. Videos started circulating on social media of a Naperville student athlete winning events at the event alongside claims that she should not have competed in the girls' division. Posts have garnered thousands of views and hundreds of comments. In response, DuPage County Republicans on May 15 posted a statement on its Facebook page maintaining that female athletes 'should be allowed to compete fairly and safely in their desired sports.' As part of the statement, the local GOP linked to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February under which transgender athletes are banned from participating in girls' and women's sports. On the same day, Awake Illinois weighed in, noting on social media that it was prepared to file a federal civil rights complaint against District 203, which the group made good on four days later. At the core of Awake's complaint is that District 203 is in violation of 'current Title IX protections.' Title IX is a 1972 law forbidding discrimination based on sex in education. Last year, the Biden administration finalized new rules expanding the law to also prevent discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Those added provisions, however, were struck down nationwide in January after a federal judge in Kentucky found they overstepped the president's authority. McBroom spoke out on the situation on May 16 via Facebook. 'So here's my question: Where is the (city of Naperville's) DEI department now? Is its role just to host workshops and 'conversations'? Will it speak out on this issue?' McBroom wrote in his post. 'Will it engage the community? Or will it stay silent?' McBroom has not been shy about his skepticism of the city's DEI department. He has questioned the city's spending on DEI amid discussions over how Naperville will account for the $6.5 million in annual revenue it stands to lose when the state's grocery tax sunsets next year. In a guest column in the Naperville Sun last fall, McBroom wrote, 'Sharpening the pencil on the city budget is certainly in order and DEI should be on the short list of where to tighten.' Reached by phone, McBroom deferred to his Facebook post and declined further comment. Requests for comment from the city were not returned. In his post, McBroom also called on school boards and district leadership to 'lead.' 'Protect the girls in our schools. Step up. Take a stand. … We are watching. And we're waiting,' he wrote. The situation was also discussed in a segment of Fox News' America Reports Monday. People flooded the District 203 School Board meeting Monday night to speak for and against transgender student athletes and to denounce those who were sharing the student's identity and photo on social media. 'The use of a student's image, likeness or name to further a political agenda is abhorrent and unacceptable,' said Amanda Zigterman, parent of two District 203 students. 'Essentially, it is bullying on a local and national stage by adults who should know better.' But other parents and community activists were vocally opposed to biological males competing in sporting events against girls, saying it creates an unfair playing field and should not be allowed. 'What is the acceptable amount of genetic boys allowed to participate in girls sports divisions?' parent Jason Copeland said. 'If the answer is anything other than zero, that person isn't qualified to be on a board overseeing the protection and education of children at any level in this district.' More than 30 residents and community activists voiced their opinions for about 90 minutes. On one side of the room, audience members held up neon yellow signs with messages that included 'Protect Girls Sports,' 'Support Common Sense' and 'Defend Title IX.' The other side was filled with people waving flags supporting transgender and LGBTQ+ rights, wearing Naper Pride shirts and 'ally' buttons, and holding signs advocating for inclusion. Roughly two-thirds of the speakers voiced their support for the right of transgender students to compete in sports and criticizing those who would turn a child into a political pawn by spreading their image on social media. 'It's not just wrong. It is harmful,' Jon O'Toole said. 'As a person of faith, we are called to love our neighbors, to speak for the vulnerable and to make space at the table for everybody. That includes trans kids. Kids should be able to show up as their bold true selves, on the field, in the classroom, in their communities.' Playing sports is about teamwork, confidence and belonging, he added, and everyone deserves that chance. 'This is not about politics,' O'Toole said. 'This is about people. This is about a child who just wants to play with their friends and be accepted for who they are. We should be working to lift that child up and protect all students, not single them out for harm. Trans kids aren't up for debate. They are not a threat. They are not a problem that needs to be solved.' Parent Tim Thompson, father of two children, said he appreciated that the school board was upholding state law and allowing transgender students to compete. District 203 should be lauded for its support of inclusivity and not cowed into bending its beliefs by civil rights complaints. 'This is just another in a long list of ways that they are attacking and devaluing public education,' he said. '… Don't be fooled. It was never about a race. It was never about an athlete. This is an attempt to further marginalize a group and tell them they don't belong, that they aren't good enough.' Other speakers, however, said it's not fair to expect girls to compete against biological boys in sporting events. A student who was born male should not be able to take away girls' achievements, hard work and effort, they said. Parent Doug MacGregor noted that some parents spend thousands of dollars on sports coaches, training and camps for their daughters only to face unfair competiton due to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'When their daughter steps up for her chance to win a state championship or medal, she'll lose to a biological male,' he said. 'That once in a lifetime moment gone because of DEI's political agenda.' Parent Jenny George said there are clear disparities between male and female athletes. Her son, a high school track athlete, would rank first in girls' categories but is in the 300s when competing against boys, she said. 'Your job is to represent every student in this district, but you have turned your back on half of them,' George said. 'Women's sports exist to offer a competitive space for female athletes. When males enter those spaces in competition, it is women and girls who are pushed out — out of races, out of records and out of recognition. This is not progress. This is a huge step backwards.' Naperville resident Shannon Adcock, founder of Awake Illinois, said her organization is fighting for fairness and to uphold protections provided through Title IX. 'Now in 2025, you've got boys stealing girls' victories, leaving young girls sobbing on the track,' she said 'This isn't inclusion, it's oppression.' Adcock said she would like to see the $8.9 million the district receives in federal funding frozen until it abides by Title IX. The school board did not address the public comments, and no item was on the agenda related to its policies regarding transgender athletes. District officials declined comment after the meeting. A District 203 spokesperson also declined to comment, saying in an email, 'Please know that the district is committed to protecting the privacy of all students. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and district policy, we cannot and will not share personal or identifiable information about any student without appropriate consent.' The district adheres to the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Illinois State Board of Education guidance, they said, 'which prohibit discrimination in schools and ensure full and equal access to programs and services regardless of gender identity or other protected characteristics.'
Chicago Tribune
13-02-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville renames plow trucks with help from area school districts
Come each winter, Naperville's fleet of snowplows set off to clear roadways and salt busy routes. But the plows that make it possible, alas, are an anonymous bunch. Unsung, if you will. No longer. The city in partnership with Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204 is renaming some of its 24 plow trucks. Naperville's Department of Public Works has affixed signs made in-house to the vehicles boasting new names, just in time for Wednesday's snow. 'It just brings a smile to something we're very serious about, which is servicing the community and making sure that our roads are treated,' city spokeswoman Kate Schultz said. So far, six trucks have hit the streets with new nomenclature. They are: Frosty the Snowplow Scoop … I Did It Again Blizzard of Oz Chilly WATTSon Seymour Snow Kendall Plowtriots The first batch come courtesy of District 204, Schultz said. District 203 is poised to provide another six names, she said. Schultz divulged the city has already received a couple of D203 submissions: a second 'Blizzard of Oz' and 'Snowy Eagle.' Naperville's plow rebrand has been in the works since late last year. The city's public works team started discussing the idea in light of snowplow contests becoming more popular around the Chicago area in recent years, Schultz said. For the past three years, Chicago has held an annual 'You Name a Snowplow' contest. This year's winners, announced in January, included the likes of 'Bozo the Plown' and 'Bean There, Plowed That.' In 2023, Park Ridge renamed its 14 plows thanks to a local contest of its own, which produced names such as 'The Salt Shakers' and 'Sir Plows a Lot.' For Naperville, instead of a city-wide contest, public works staff thought the venture 'could be a great way to tap into the creativity of our community's kids,' Schultz said. Director of Public Works Dick Dublinski reached out to both of Naperville-area school districts and let take the lead to determine how names would be submitted. Of D204's 21 elementary schools, six from Naperville — Brookdale, Clow, Fry, May Watts, Patterson and Kendall — ultimately participated. The winning names were submitted in January. Ron Wilke, District 204's school safety, security and emergency preparedness coordinator, said he hopes students have a chance to see the plow they helped name around their school and neighborhood. And maybe it will serve as a learning experience as well, he said. 'I think what we were looking for is just our students to understand that there are people out there working for their safety, not just in the school system, but within the municipalities that go out and plow,' Wilke said. 'We have people on-site that do the driveways and the walkways that go to the school, but … there's all the other people: police, fire, emergency responders, public works that clean these streets off and make them safe so their parents can drop them off or the buses can get to the school.' Schultz assured that through this week's winter storm, the newly named plows were out hard at work, 'doing what they do best.' And when this winter draws to a close, the city will be taking the names off its fleet and giving them back to participating schools, Schultz said, leaving trucks ready to shrug off their winter caps and prepare for leaf collection come fall.
