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    The Lodi BOE unanimously passed this policy at the February 24, 2016 meeting. Parents were not informed.

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    Transgender Policy passed by the Lodi BOE

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    The Lodi BOE unanimously passed this policy at the February 24, 2016 meeting. Parents were not informed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    108 views7 pages

    Transgender Policy Passed by The Lodi BOE

    Uploaded by

    RC
    The Lodi BOE unanimously passed this policy at the February 24, 2016 meeting. Parents were not informed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 7
    POLICY No 5756 Board of Education STUDENTS Li Page 1 of 7 TRANSGENDER STUDENTS ‘The Board of Edvcation is committed to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive leaming environment forall students. In furthering this goal, the Board adopts this Policy to ensure al students, including transgender students, have equal educational ‘opportunities and ecual access to the school district's educational programs and activities ‘The Board of Education, administration, and all schoo! staff members will comply with Federal and State laws and regulations regarding transgender students and no student shall be subjected tc discrimination onthe basis of gender idemiy or expression, Harassment, Intimidation and Bullving ‘The Board of Education shall maintain a safe and supportive leaming and educational environment that is free from harsssment, intimidation, and/or bullying and free from discrimination on account of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, affections! or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, domestic partnershia status, nationality, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait of any individual, genetic information, or refusal to submit to a genetic test or make the results of a genetic test know, disabilities, social or economic status, pregnancy, childbicth, pregnancy related disabilities, actual or potential parenthood, family status or other distinguishing characteristic, Complaints alleging discrimination shall be reported to the school affirmative action officer according to board policies. Any student experiencing or observing harassment intimidation and bullying is encouraged to report the incident to « member of schoo! staff. Any staff member observing or receiving a report of harassment, intimidation or ‘bullying shall repor the incident to the principal the same day the incident is observed of the report received. All reported incidents of discrimination, harassment, intimidation 1nd bullying shall be promply investigated and resolved accouding 10 law wind Uuar’ policy. ‘School staff must consider the health, well-being, and safety ofthe transitioning student, {In making a recommendation, schoo! staff shall balance the rights ofthe student needing support and the reqvirement thet parents/guardians be kept informed about their child, Tn accordance with law, parents/quardians andlor the appropriate local officials shall be informed when there is any suspicion of injury or harm tothe student or other students For the purposes of this Policy: 1. “Gender expression” refers to the way a student represents of expresses ‘gender fo others, often through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, activities, STUDENTS ‘5756/page 2 0f7 ‘Transgender Students 2, “Gender ideatity” means a student's deeply held sense or psychological knowledge of their own gender, regardless of the gender they were ‘assigned at bith 3. “Gender identity or expression” also means having o being perceived as hhaving a gender-related identity or expression whether or not stereotypically associated 18 person's assigned sex at birth 4. “Gender nozeonforming” describes @ student whose gender expression iffers from stereotypical expectations, such as “feminine” boys, “masculine” girls, and those who are perceived as androgynous. “Transgendei” describes students whose gender identity is different from their gender essgned at bin, ‘The Board of Education believes the responsibilty for determining a student's gender identity ests withthe student or, in the case of young students not yet able to advocate for themselves, with the parent. Therefore, the Board will accept a student's assertion of his or her gender identity when there is consistent and uniform assertion of the gender identity, or any other evideace that the gender identity is sincerely held as a part of the student's core identity, The Board of Education will not question or disregard the assertion of a student's gender identity. However, the Board authorizes the Superintendent or designee to question a student’ asserted gender identity when there is a credible basis for believing the student's gender identity is being asserted for some ‘improper purpose. Confirmation ofa student's asserted gender identity must include a letter from a parent to the Superintendent of Schools indicating the student is gender non-conforming. In the event the parent does not ccnsent fo the student's gender identity, the Superintendent or designee will meet withthe parent and the student to determine how the stadent’s gender identity shall be addressed by the school district. ‘The Board recognizes schoc-rlated issues regarding transgender students will vary on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, the Superintendent of Schools or designee will meet with the parent and student to discuss schoot-related issues such asthe name and pronoun to bbe used by district staff in referring tothe student, the gender identifieation to be used on the student's records, district staff members that should be informed of the students access and use of restrooms, locker rooms, changing facilities, physical education classes, intramural programs, interscholastc athletic programs, and other gender isues affecting the transgender student and his/her attendance at school and participation in school programs. The school distrt will tke reasonable measures to secommodate the needs of transgender students in accordance with Federal and State laws and regulation Students who do not want their parents/guardians to Know about their transgender status shall be addressed on a bas-by-case basis, with particular emphasis on the age of the s ues In some cases, particularly for high school student notifying parents/guandians cartes risks forthe student, such as Being Kicked out of the home. If there is any indicaton that informing the parent will cause emotional o STUDENTS: 5756/page 3 of 7 ‘Transgender Students chysical_harm to the student, prior to notification of the parent/guardian regarding the ‘ransition process, school staff should work closely with the student to assess the degree {o which, if any, the parents/guardians will be involved in the process, In order to have a ‘better understanding regarding the issue of nondiselosure tothe parents, the District may also seek the assistance of outside agencies with experience in addressing the needs of the transgender student. In the event a student no longer identifies with a previously asserted gender other than their gender at birth, a parent of the student must submit a letter to the Superintendent of Schools indicating the student is no longer gender nonconforming. ‘The Superintendent (or designee will meet with the parent and the student to discuss the transition of the student from gender nonconforming to gender conforming. In the event the parent does ‘ot consent to the student's assertion the student is no longer gender nonconforming, the Superintendent or designee will meet with the parent and the student to determine how the student's gender identity should be addressed by the schoo! district. The school district and school staff members will ensure the privacy of any student's transgender status and will not disclose or acknowledge a student's transgender status Unless required to in accordance with any Federal law, State statue, administrative eode, or ifthe parent and student have authorized such disclosure Resource Terms and Definitions ‘These definitions are provided not forthe purpose of labeling students but rather to assist in understanding this policy and the legal obligations of Board of Education staff Students may oF may not use these terms to describe themselves, Gonder Identity Gender Identity is a person's deeply held sense or psychological knowledge of their own gender. One's gender identity can be the same or different then the gender assigned at bith. Most people have @ gender identity that matches their assigned gender at birth. For some, however, their gender identity is different ftom their assigned gender. All people have a gender identiy, not just transgender people. Gender identity is an innate, largely inflexible characteristic of each individual's personality that is generally established bj age four, although the age at which individuals come to understand and express th gender identity may vary based on each person's social and familial social development. Gender Expression Gonder Expression isthe manner in which @ person represents or expresses gender to ‘others, often through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, activities, voice or mannerisms. STUDENTS 5756ipage 4 of 7 Transgender Students ‘Transgender Transgender is an adjective describing person whose gender identity or expression is different from that waditionally associated with an assigned sex at bith. Other terms that can have similar meanings are transsexual and trans ‘Transition ‘A transition is the arocess in which a person goes from living and identifying ae one ‘gender to living and identifying as another. Gender Nonconforming Gender Nonconforning is @ term for people whose gender expression differs from stereotypical expectations, such as “feminine” boys, “masculine” girls and those who are perceived as androgynous. This includes people who idently outside traditional gender categories or identify as both genders, Other terms that can have similar meanings include gender diverse or gender expansive, Sex Sex is the classifiation of people as male or female. At birth infants ae assigned a sex, usually based on the appearance oftheir extemal anatomy. (This is what is written on the birth certificate.) However, a person's sex is actually a combination of bodily characteristics including: chromosomes, hormones, intemal and extemal reproductive ‘organs, and secondary sex characteristics. Gender Identity One's internal, deeply held sense of one’s gender. For transgender people, their own intemal gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Most people have a gender identity of man or woman (or boy or gl). For some people, their gender ‘identity does not ft neatly into one of those two choices. Unlike gender expression (see below) gender identity isnot visible to others Conder Expression External manifestations of gender, expressed through one's name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics. Society identifies these cues as ‘masculine and feminine, although what is considered masculine and feminine changes cover time and varies by culture. Typically, transgender people seck to make their gender expression align witk their gender identity, rather than the sex they were assigned a birth. STUDENTS 5756ipage 5 of 7 Transgender Students Sexual Orientation Sexual Orientation describes an individual's enduring physical, romantic and/or ‘emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, or bisexual, For example, a person who transitions from male to female and is attracted solely to men would identify asa straight woman, Transgender-Specifie Terminology ‘Transgender (adj.) ‘An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from, ‘what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. People under the twansgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms -ineludingtransgender. Some of those terms are defined below. Use the deseriptive term preferred by the individual. Many wansgender people are prescribed hormones by their doctors to change their bodies. Some undergo surgery as well. But not all lransgender people can or will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon medicel procedures ‘Transsexual (adj) ‘Transsexual is an older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities. Unlike transgender, transsexual isnot an umbrella term. Many transgender people do not identify as transsexual and prefer the word transgender, It is best (0 ask Which team an individual prefers. If preferred, use as an adjetive: transsexual woman or transsexual man, Trans Used as shorthand to mean transgender or transsexual or sometimes 10 be inclusive of a wide variety of identities under the transgender umbrella. Because its meaning is not precise or widely understood, be careful when using it with audiences who may not ‘understand what it means. Avoid unless used in a direct quote or in eases where you can clearly explain the term's meaning in the context of your story Transgender man People who were assigned female at birth but identify and live as a man may use this term to describe themselves. They may shorten it to trans man, (Note: trans man, not “transman.") Some may also use ETM, an abbreviation for female-to-mele. Some may prefer to simply be called men, without any modifier. It is best to ask which term an Individual prefers STUDENTS 5756ipage 6 of 7 ‘Transgender Students ‘Transgender woman People who were assigned male at birth but identify and live as a women may use this term to describe themselves. They may shorten to trans woman, (Note: trans woman, not “answoman.") Some may also use MTF, an abbreviation for male-to-female. Some may prefer to simply be called women, without any modifier, Its best to ask which term an individual prefers ‘Transition Altering one's birth sex is not a one-step procedure; it is a complex process that occurs over a long period of time. Transition includes some oF all ofthe following personal, ‘medical, and legal steps: telling one's family, fiends, and co-workers; using a diferent rhame and new pronouns; dressing differently; changing one's name and/or sex on legal documents; hormone therapy; and possibly (though not always) one or mote types of surgery. The exact steps involved in transition vary from person to person. Avoid the phase "sex change.” Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) Refers to doctor-supervised surgical interventions, and is only one small pat of transition (see transition above). Avoid the phrase "sex change operation.” Do not refer to someone as being "pre-op" or "post-op." Not all transgender people choose to, or ean afford 10, lundergo medical surgeries, Jouralists should avoid “uveremphasiaing the role of surgeries inthe transition process, Gender Identity Disorder (GID) outdated, see Gender Dysphoria Gender Dysphoria Jn 2013, the American Psychiatric Association released the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) which replaced the outdated entry “Gender Identity Disorder" with Gender Dysphoria, and changed the criteria for diagnosis. The necessity of a psychiatric diagnosis remains controversial, as both psychiatric and medical authorities recommend individualized medical treatment through hormones and/or surgeries to treat gender dysphoria, Some transgender advocates believe the inclusion of Gender Dysphoria in the DSM is necessary in order to advocate for ‘health insurance that covers the medically necessary treatment recommended for transgender people. Cisgender ‘A term used by some to describe people who are not transgender. "Ci." is @ Lain prefix. ‘meaning "on the same side a5," and is therefore an antonym of "tans." A more widely understood way to deseribe people who are not transgender is simply to say non transgender people. STUDENTS '5756\page 7 of 7 ‘Transgender Students Gender Non-Conforming A erm used to describe some people whose gender expression is different from conventional expectations of masculinity and femininity. Please note thet not all gender non-conforming people identify as transgender, nor are all wansgender people gender ‘nor-conforming. Many people have gender expressions that are not entirely conventional -~ that fact alone does not make them transgender. Many wansgender men and women hhave gender expressions that are conventionally masculine of fersinine, Simply being transgender does not make someone gender non-conforming. The term is not « synonym fortransgender or transsexual and should only be used if someone self-identiies as ender non-conforming, Genderqueer ‘A term used by some people who experience their gender identity andlor gender expression as falling outside the categories of man and woman. They may define their {gender as falling somewhere in between man and woman, or they may define itas wholly

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