11/16/2015

TulsaPublicSchoolsAdoptsGuidelinesForTransgenderStudents,NewsOn6.comTulsa,OKNews,Weather,VideoandSportsKOTV.com|

TulsaPublicSchoolsAdoptsGuidelines
ForTransgenderStudents,Faculty
Posted:Nov12,20157:45AMPST Updated:Nov12,20156:27PMPST

BY:EMORYBRYAN,NEWSON6 BIO EMAIL

TULSA,Oklahoma TulsaPublicSchoolsisadoptingnewguidelinesreflectingcivilrights
advancesfortransgenderstudentsandfaculty.
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Theeffortwillresultinatleastone"genderneutral"bathroomineachschool.
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Thedistrictsaidthereisnothreatoflegalactionforcingchangestotheirpractices,but
theyareworkingquicklytoevaluatewhataccommodationsthey'llneedtomakeateach
school.
DeputySuperintendent,Dr.KathySeibold,said"Reallywhatwe'redoingisexpandingour
accesstorestrooms.Mostofthetimeourpreferenceistohaveasinglestallrestroomwe
canidentifyasgenderneutral,andbothgendernonconforming,transgenderoranyother
studentcanusethatfacility."
Shewouldn'tsayhowmanytransgenderstudentsthedistrictknowsabout,butsaidthe
numberisn'tguidingthedecision."Thereasonitwaschangedwasjusttoensurethat
everyonehasequalaccesstoeducation,"saidSeibold.
Thechangeshavebeenunderdevelopmentformonths,butthedistrictonly
acknowledgedTuesdaythatsensitivitytrainingwasabouttobeginforallstaff,starting
withadministrators.Thedistricthasscheduledatrainingsessionforadministratorsnext
MondayledbyanattorneyandanOSUpsychologist.
TeacherstellNewsOn6theyhavecomplainedtotheirunionrepresentatives,butTulsa
ClassroomTeachersPresidentPattiFergusonPalmersaid,"Wehavehonestlynotheard
fromanyonewithconcernsaboutthis."
There'salegalissueatstake,accordingtoTulsaattorneyAlyssaBryant,withthefirm
BakerBryant.
Bryantsaid,"Thelawhasevolvedandit'sevolvedrapidlytorecognizethatdiscrimination
SuggestedStory

basedongenderidentityisgenderdiscriminationorsexdiscrimination."
TulsaPublicSchoolsConsiders
Moving6thGraders
Bryantsaidschoolsthatdevelopwrittenpolicies,generallyfarebetterlegallywhenissues
arise.
TPSfirstacknowledgedthetraininginawrittenstatementaspokespersonsaidwas
developedbyseveraltopadministrators.
TulsaPublicSchoolStatement
Thatstatementsays"Thismonth,wewillholdatrainingforTPSschooladministratorson
bestpracticestosupportgendernonconformingandtransgenderyouth.Schoolleaders
willbringthesebestpracticesandguidelinesbacktotheirrespectivesites.Aswithany
otherareaofdevelopmentandgrowthinthedistrict,wewillcontinuetoreviseguidance
andtrainstafftoensurethatallTPSstudentsaregettingthesupportsthattheyneedto
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TulsaPublicSchoolsAdoptsGuidelinesForTransgenderStudents,NewsOn6.comTulsa,OKNews,Weather,VideoandSportsKOTV.com|

succeed."
ThedistrictsaidthesessionsforadministratorswillbeledbyDr.AlCarlozziofOklahoma
StateUniversity,andKarenLong,anattorneywithRosensteinFist&Ringold.
CarlozziheadstheDepartmentofCounselingPsychologyatOSUTulsaandLongworks
forthelawfirmthatrepresentsmanyOklahomaschooldistricts.
Carlozzisaidhehasoftenledtrainingsessionsliketheonehe'splanningforTulsaPublic
Schoolsandsaidwhilehe'snotawareofanysuburbanschoolstakingthesamesteps,
he'sconfidenttheywillwithtime,inlightofrecentdecisionsfromtheU.S.Departmentof
JusticeandDepartmentofEducation.
Heestimatedonein1,000studentsistransgenderTPSreportsithasapproximately
42,000students.
"Ithinktherightsoftransgenderpeoplearebeingaffirmedatthispoint,primarilyatthe
federallevel,though,alotofstatelevelgroupsareclarifyingtheirrules,"saidCarlozzi.
"Myjobistoeducateandopenmindstothetransgenderexperienceandtheconcerns
thatparentshavetomakesuretheirchild'srightsandwellbeingarebeingprotectedin
schools."
Carlozzisaidbathroomissuesaretypicalsensitiveareasthatarisefirstandthat"themost
currentthinkingisthatpeopleshouldbeabletousethebathroomconsistentwiththeir
genderidentity.Thelawseemstobemovinginthatdirection."Hesaiddecidingwhere
transgenderchildrenshouldusetherestroomismadeintoabiggerissuethanitshouldbe
becauseofsuspicionthatotherchildrenwouldbeexposedtodangerinthebathroom,
when,morecommonly,thedangeristothetransgenderperson.
Bryant,whostudiestransgendercaselaw,saidthere'sacommoncontroversyoverthe
possibilityofpeopleenteringoppositesexrestroomsatwill,butshesaidthat'snotareal
issue.
"Nopolicyanywhereinthecountryallowsthattohappenwhatitrequires,isaconsistent
presentation,"shesaid,forapersontobewelcomedintoarestroomthatdoesn't
correspondwiththeirbirthgender.
Presentationisthegenderapersonexpressestotheoutsideworld,andsomeexperts
recommendthataperiodoftimepasses,withaconsistentpresentation,beforeaperson
startsenteringoppositesexrestrooms.
Someschoolsutilizegenderneutralrestroomstoresolvetheissue.
Seiboldsaidthedistrictwantstoensurethatstudentsfeelfreetotellstaffiftheyhave
transgenderissues,"sothatstudentscanidentifyinthewaytheyfeeltheyneedto
identify."
InSeptember,thedistrictaddedgenderexpressionandgenderidentitytotheantibullying
policy,througharevisiontoanondiscriminationclause.
9/9/2015:RelatedStory:TulsaPublicSchoolBoardUpdatesAntiHarassment,
BullyingGuidelines
Thisweek,TPSsaidthosechanges"provideimportantprotectionsfortransgenderand
gendernonconformingyouth,"andwouldensurean"inclusive,supportiveclimateand
culture."
TheTPSstatementsaidthedistrictis"committedtofosteringfullyinclusiveschool,
district,andprofessionalcommunities.Wewantallofourstudentsandfamiliestofeel
valued,respected,andsupportedbyourteachers,schoolleaders,andadministrators."

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InJuneandJuly,TPShadprofessionaldevelopmentclassesforteacherscalled
"UnderstandingandWorkingwithTransgenderStudents"and"CulturalResponsiveness:
AFocusonLGBTQYouth."
Acoursecatalogforthe"Understanding"classdescribedareviewofGenderDysphoria
andhownewfederalpoliciesareaffectingtransgenderstudents.Itincludedapanelof
parentsandtransgenderchildrenandteenagers.ItwasrecommendedforteacherPreK
through12thgradesandwasheldattheEqualityCenter,wheresomeTPStrainershave
connectionswiththetransgendercommunity.
TulsaPublicSchoolTrainingCatalog
The"Cultural"classwasdescribedasanopportunitytoincreaseawarenessofand
improvetheexperiencesoflesbian,gay,bisexual,transgenderandquestioning(LBGTQ)
students/youth.ItwasheldattheWilsonTrainingAcademy.
Intrainingsessionsalreadyconductedbythedistrict,graphicsofaGenderbread
PersonandaGenderUnicornwereusedtoinformteachersaboutthevariationsof
sexualitytheyneededtounderstand.
Otherschoolorganizationsarealsochangingpolicies.Thissummer,theOklahoma
SecondarySchoolActivitiesAssociation,thegoverningbodyforpublicschool
athletics,createdapolicytohelpschoolsdeterminewhethertransgenderchildrenshould
playonboysorgirlsathleticteams.Thepolicyspecificstherulesforwhatitdescribesas
femaletomaleandmaletofemalestudentstakinghormonetherapy.
OSSAATransgenderPolicy
Carlozzisaidthemostimportantthingisthatthetransgenderstudentisn'tharmed
emotionallyorphysically,sotheycanstayinschool.
"Ourjobisgoingtobetoeducateandopenmindsandheartssothatpeoplecan
overcometheirbiasestounderstandthattransgenderpeoplearepeopletoo.Idon'tknow
howanyonecouldobjecttothis,unlessit'sonreligiousgrounds,butthat'sdiscrimination."
CarlozzisaidheworkswithasupportgroupforparentsandteensthroughtheEquality
Centerandfrequentlyhearsofissuesthatstudentshaveinschool.
"It'sanareaofgreatneedbecausetransgenderpeoplegetdiscriminatedagainstat
school.Iwanttoheightenawarenessandgivethem[TPSadministrators]toolstoprotect
therightsandwellbeingoftransgenderstudentsinschool.Wewantthesepeopletreated
withrespectandkindnessjustlikeanyotherkid."
Carlozzisaidhe'sfinalizingapresentationforthetraininghe'llleadforTPSandsaidhe
thoughtTPSwas"realizingit'stime,andhopefullythatwillsetatrendforsurrounding
schooldistricts."
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