ROSS COUNTY, OH — A social media posting made on Friday by a Ross County grandparent about transgender students has sparked widespread controversy around Zane Trace Local Schools.
A local woman named Christina Bennett posted on a local Facebook group saying that her granddaughter attended Zane Trace Middle School with a transgender student. In part, the posting said, “Here’s a heads up, the schools in Chillicothe are allowing gay boys use the girl’s bathroom.” She went on to add, “….it is Zane Trace Middle School that is allowing this to happen….it needs to stop now…”
Bennett claimed that her granddaughter is being bullied because the pre-teen has been vocal about her opinion disagreeing with the alleged transgender bathroom use.
“My granddaughter came home complaining cause [sic] he was in there and she refuses to acknowledge him as a girl, and so now they are picking on her.”
The posting sparked passion from both sides of the debate. Several dozen people chimed in calling Bennett a homophobe and bigot, and saying that students should be accepted for who they are. Others commented agreeing with Bennett, calling for the alleged policy to cease.
Kelsie Byers commented and said that bigotry is taught.
“So, ‘she refuses to acknowledge him as a girl’ meaning she’s a girl and your granddaughter has been clearly taught hate and bigotry. Yikes. Not something I’d be proud of posting.”
Jeff Dumm wrote that, “The girls should gather together and watch, then laugh!”
“Well, they may feel more safer in the girl’s bathroom. I’m not seeing an issue here, minus plain homophobia,” typed Staci Hawk.
“I’m just thinking about this [sic] could lead to possibly rape or if a person had been raped, this is just not good,” said Dova Smith. “I’m sorry it’s so easy to say, ‘hey, I am gay and boom, rape happens. Just not a good mixture for children. I see a mess brewing.”
The Guardian reached out multiple times to Zane Trace’s superintendent Jerry Mowery to get clarification on the school’s policy with respect to transgender students and bathroom use. Mowery did not return numerous messages and emails as of Friday evening. Calls also placed to Zane Trace School Board members wielded no results, with one member saying she would pass a message along to Mowery to call the Guardian; that call never came.
“Unless there is a published article from the school, or the school has personally called you and told you they were doing this, what is the point in this posting?” asked Mady Brown in the comments of the posting. “Also, blatantly bashing the gay community is gross, and more of a danger to the youth than letting kids be themselves.”
The Guardian also reached out to the six other school district superintendents in Ross County on Friday, leaving a voicemail and email with each one, asking for what each district’s respective policy is on transgender bathroom use. Not a single superintendent in Ross County returned the Guardian’s calls or emails as of Friday evening, dodging the sensitive topic.
A statewide LGBTQIA+ origination — Equality Ohio — released a statement on Friday calling for the equal treatment of all students in Ross County.
“Everyone deserves safety and privacy in restrooms, including transgender students. Laws against voyeurism and sexual assault are important for keeping everyone safe,” said Equality Ohio’s Statewide Civic Engagement Director, Gwen Stembridge. “A nondiscrimination policy keeps all students safe from harm in a restroom or locker room. Not having one puts all students at risk.”
Stembridge added that according to a 2019 School Climate Survey, most LGBTQ students in Ohio have been victimized at school. Transgender individuals are far more likely to be harmed than to cause harm to someone else in a restroom, Stembridge said.
“Transgender students are part of communities and schools across Ohio — and they need to be able to simply use a bathroom or locker room safely, just like everyone else.”
In 2011, a 15-year-old Ross County student was charged with assault after attacking another student and calling them homophobic slurs at Union-Scioto High School. Equality Ohio got involved after cell phone video of the assault went viral. The victim in the attack — now an adult — identifies openly as transgender. In addition to the criminal charges, the family settled a civil claim with the school for $35,000. As part of the financial settlement in that case, school officials at Union-Scioto admitted no wrongdoing but “agreed to develop ‘acceptable policies to address the alleged intolerant behavior….against LGBT students,’ create an effective complaint program and train staff on ‘cultural understanding’ of harassment of LGBT pupils.”
When President Joe Biden took office in January, he reinstated an executive order from 2016, from then-President Barack Obama. President Obama signed guidance in May 2016, which said a federal law known as Title IX protects the right of transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities. When President Donald Trump took office in 2017, he rescinded the order, saying schools did not have to comply.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Education told the Guardian that they share President Biden’s commitment to protecting the rights of all students and are committed to fulfilling the nation’s promise of equal educational opportunity.
According to Brad Smith, an attorney who practices civil rights law, any school district who opposes and defies the Biden guidance is in jeopardy of losing their federal funding and the school administrators responsible for any oppression of students could face federal criminal charges.
You may read President Biden’s order by clicking here.
If you or a loved one is LGBTQIA+ and need someone to talk to, trained counselors are available to support you 24/7. If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk, call the TrevorLifeline now at 1-866-488-7386.
