A member of the Idaho school board cut off the microphone of a state senator who opposed a proposed policy allowing transgender students to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity.
Newly elected state senator Chris Trakel, a Republican, addressed the Caldwell School District Board of Education Tuesday during a comment session.
He argued that the school district his children attend should repeal the proposed policy — and warned that if a teenage girl is made uncomfortable by the presence of a transgender woman in the bathroom, the district risks a lawsuit.
But as he continued to speak, School Board President Marisela Pesina decided to mute the microphone and adjourn the meeting.
She claimed he did not follow the committee’s procedures.
A volunteer school board member muted the microphone of Idaho State Sen. Chris Trakel at a meeting Tuesday
Trakel began his comments Tuesday by noting that he had previously spoken before the board as a parent – but this time in his official capacity as a state senator.
“You have an obligation under Idaho law to safeguard the morale and health of all students,” he told the school board. “If you allow a man to use a woman’s restroom, you are jeopardizing their moral health and safety.”
He continued that the school district was at risk of being sued, noting, “It’s already happened in several states and there have already been judgments about it.
“So before you squander taxpayers’ money, before you put a child at risk, you better throw that policy away and not even think about it…”
But as he spoke, he noticed that Pesina had turned her head to another board member.
“I have the floor, Ms. Pesina, would you please listen to me?”
Apparently startled, Pesina turned her head back to the country’s senator, who told her, “You claim you want people to play by the rules, but you’re breaking the rules left and right,” bringing an incident from the previous one Board meeting to speak.
At that point, Pesina said the board would take a 15-minute break and told Trakel, “I’m sorry, we asked you. [You] be sure to know the protocol.’
Trakel, in turn, replied, “You don’t follow protocol yourself.”
Sensing the tension in the room, one of the other board members moved to adjourn the meeting and Pesina took the opportunity to ask for a second.
‘No!’ shouted someone in the crowd. ‘Your people are speaking.’
But another school board member supported the move, prompting Trakel to bring up the state’s open gatherings law.
“Section 74-201: The people of the State of Idaho, in creating the instruments of government to serve them, do not surrender their sovereignty to the agencies so created…”
At that moment, Pesina told whoever was controlling the sound system to turn off his microphone, which was instantly dead.
She took the opportunity to call for a vote on whether to adjourn as the crowd continued to shout.
Trakel, left, spoke out against the district’s proposed transgender toilet policy and criticized the board for its behavior when board chairwoman Marisela Pesina decided to mute the microphone and adjourn the meeting
The school board met Tuesday to discuss a proposed new policy on gender identity.
Under the proposal, KTVB reports, students would be able to use different school facilities “based on the gender identity they most express at school.”
Parents would be asked to meet with the principal or school administrator to understand the student’s needs and develop a plan that is “in the student’s best interest”. This plan would then be signed by all parties involved, noting consensus and any dissenting opinions.
But another section, “Confidentiality,” states that when speaking to the parents of a transgender student, staff would need to use the student’s legal name and pronouns that correspond to the gender assigned to the student at birth, unless a previously agreed plan provides otherwise.
Other sections of the proposed policy would allow a student to go on overnight trips regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and would allow school activities that are segregated by gender “in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity being employed at school consistently expressed”.
Jessica Watts, the district’s communications director, told KTVB the policy was proposed but “still being reviewed.”
At Tuesday’s school board meeting, several students and parents spoke with mixed opinions on the proposal.
Three high school students began the public comment period by supporting the proposal, saying that the district should be at the forefront of transgender rights.
‘I firmly believe that all students, and not only [in] in the Caldwell School District, but around the world deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,” said a high schooler named Nicholas.
“The struggles that you may not experience yourself don’t mean they don’t exist,” he continued, noting, “Many of us here identify with the gender that we’ve been assigned [and] are attracted to the opposite sex.
“That might make you feel like LGBTQ rights aren’t an issue or something to worry about, but that’s far from the case,” Nicholas said.
‘We should fight for the rights of all people, including people who are different from yourself. We as a school district should fight for equality for all students in the Caldwell School District.’
But he was immediately followed by a middle school student who said she didn’t think it was right for a boy who feels like a girl to change in the same room as the girls because we would all feel very uncomfortable changing boy in the room.
“And I don’t think they should be allowed in the same bathroom as the girls because they make everyone feel very uncomfortable using the bathrooms with a boy.”
One woman also said that “there are only two genders, that’s it” and “Teaching is for reading, writing and arithmetic.
“It’s not about sexualizing our kids,” she said. “This is not what our taxpayers’ money should be used for.”
She then suggested that the board could face consequences for the proposal.
“Another thing, we pay your boys wages, we voted for you. We can vote you out,” the woman said, as people in the crowd replied, “Amen.”
That seemed to be the first time Pesina realized that the order of the school board meeting was increasingly in jeopardy and said, “Okay, we can end this meeting. I already asked you guys.
“And just for the record, we don’t get paid.”
But the woman seemed to continue her threats, saying, “Let me tell you something, everyone will answer before God one day. There’s no way you’ll escape.”
The Caldwell School District is considering a policy that would allow transgender students to use the bathroom and locker room consistent with their gender identity
After the chaotic meeting, Trakel told the Daily Beast: “I understand where they’re coming from. They need a guideline to follow.
“You have a transgender child who doesn’t want to use the birthing sex toilet that they are in, and that puts that child in a situation,” the senator acknowledged.
‘So I understand the school is looking for something, a guideline. You don’t want to be sued.
“They try to keep only the best interests of all students in mind.”
Meanwhile, the school district released a statement, saying: “It was disappointing that some participants refused to follow the rules, preventing others from sharing their thoughts with the board.
“The Caldwell School District welcomes and encourages feedback on its work,” it said.
“What we don’t welcome are those who refuse to follow the steps necessary to provide a civilized, courteous and respectful environment for this feedback to take place.”