ST. CHARLES COUNTY — A policy requiring students to use bathrooms that match the gender on their birth certificates has been tabled in the Francis Howell School District.
“This policy will not be appearing on the agenda for the November 16, 2023, meeting in order to provide added time for individual board members to obtain any additional information they deem applicable in making decisions around this issue,†Adam Bertrand, president of the school board, posted Sunday to Facebook.
Last month, Jane Puszkar of the board’s conservative majority proposed the policy that would prohibit transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. The policy was scheduled for a second reading and vote at Thursday’s monthly meeting.
Under the policy, each school would have to provide separate facilities for boys and girls along with at least one single-user bathroom for any student to use.
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Supporters of the policy include Ken Gontarz, president of the conservative political action committee Francis Howell Families, who thanked the school board for their “desire to be considerate and accommodating to all.â€
State Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, and other St. Charles County lawmakers sent a letter in September urging school boards to approve bathroom policies aligned with students’ sex at birth.
Most speakers at the October meeting opposed the policy, including two transgender students. One parent threatened legal action if the board approved it. A petition against the policy collected close to 700 names, according to the LGBTQ advocacy group PROMO.
“While we are grateful the policy has been tabled, the real question is why was it even brought up in the first place?†said Robert Fischer, spokesman for PROMO. “The first place the school board should turn to for education is its students and, in particular, their Gay Straight Alliance chapters who are hurting.â€
Bertrand said the board will revisit the policy at a future meeting.
“While I don’t have a specific date when this policy will return for the second reading, I trust it will at a subsequent date,†Bertrand wrote on Facebook. “As always, I believe this board will strive to make the best decisions for the District, at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.â€