KUSD Policy Revisions on Transgender Student Rights and Bullying Delayed

Nov. 19, 2019 9:55p

(WGTD)---A Kenosha School Board member persuaded his colleagues Tuesday night to put the brakes on some proposed policy revisions after undergoing a pair of recent epiphanies.

Tom Duncan and other board members recently attended a Kenosha Education Association-sponsored forum on gender inclusivity.

 At Tuesday's school board meeting, Duncan said a proposed transgender student rights policy that requires parental permission before teachers are mandated to refer to a transgender student by his or her preferred name and pronoun could backfire if parents are not supportive of the change. Duncan said the point was driven home to him by a transgender student whom he met at the forum. "That individual's parents were not supportive--not welcoming," he said. "That really got to me. That truly sensitized me." 

At Duncan’s urging, the board voted to defer a ‘first reading’ of the proposed transgender policy.

Several speakers who spoke during the citizen comments portion of the meeting also urged a second look at the policy. 

The other matter had to do with bullying, and a publicized incident in which an Indian Trail student was bullied and repeatedly punched in the head by another student, who wound up being suspended but not expelled. "Everyone is asking me why no expulsion," he said. 

The board agreed to postpone consideration of changes to the district’s bullying policy. No word on just when the discussions will resume.

In the Indian Trail incident, the victim, who suffered a concussion, would up transferring to Central High School in Paddock Lake. 

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