Students Fight Back Against Transgender Bathroom Policy

The students from a New York state high school put a walkout together to demonstrate opposition to the transgender bathroom policy at their school. Pittore, who identifies as a male, said, “I feel as though that we shouldn’t be silenced no matter what.”

John Jay High School

The protest took place at John Jay High School,

Is it part of the Wappingers Central School District

Democracy

In a report from Spectrum News, a group named Defense of Democracy,

That focuses on promoting inclusivity, and took the lead in organizing the counter-protest.

Allows

The high school give the students permission to use the bathroom that they choose,

And the one that aligns with their self-identity gender.

Senior Shauna Neilan

A senior at John Jay High School, Shauna Neilan said,

“A bunch of people from our school, John Jay, feel uncomfortable.”

Comfortable

She said,

“We want to change that and give them their own spaces to make us more comfortable and them more comfortable.”

Petition

Neilan was responsible for initiating the petition,

Claiming that situations involving transgender students have transpired in the restroom.

Superintendent Dwight Bonk

However,

The Superintendent of Wappingers Central School District, Dwight Bonk, has said that he is unaware of any incidents occurring.

Discussion About Code Of Conduct

Bonk said that the school has plans to hold a code of conduct discussion,

Mainly with the students that were involved in the protest.

Stand Up

Per a cable outlet News 12 Westchester, one of the organizers said,

“It is not enough to just stand up with trans students, we must fight their oppressors,”

Pittore

Pittore said,

“We are human, just like everyone else. I, myself, have been struggling with this for so long, and I just feel like we shouldn’t be silenced because we’re human ourselves.”

Senior Cory Pittore

In addition to this,

Cory Pittore, a senior at the school, participated in a counter-protest.

State And Federal Laws

Bonk said the school follows the letter of the law In a statement,

“Under state and federal laws (including Title IX and New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act), school districts are required to provide access to transgender students to the restroom of the sex with which they identify, which may not be the student’s sex assigned at birth.”

Students

His statement said the protest

“involved approximately 20 students that was peaceful and concluded without incident.”

District

The statement said,

“The District is fully aware of its obligations to its transgender population (as well as to the entirety of the student body) under these laws and remains fully committed to protecting these students and ensuring that they can safely access these rights.”

Free Speech

He said,

“I was personally present at the school during the protest and the students had the opportunity to exercise their free speech rights to express their positions in a manner which is both respectful, safe, and in accordance with the requirements of the School District and governmental authorities.”