MILFORD, PA – The Delaware Valley School District Board unanimously voted Thursday to remove gender identity and gender expression as a protected status in its discrimination policy following a letter from the Trump administration that the federal government had terminated its transgender-affirming agreement.
Superintendent Dr. Brian Blaum received a Feb. 25 letter from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), stating that the federal office had terminated the district’s 2016 OCR agreement mandating policies supporting transgender students.
All nine board members voted to comply with the federal directive, as some community members walked out of the room yelling “cowards” and “shame.”
Transgender students in the school district will now be required to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their sex assigned at birth, regardless of the student’s gender identity. The updated policies go into effect immediately, according to Board President Jessica Decker.
The district’s trans-inclusion policies, the letter states, violated Title IX and urged the district to rescind them. Failure to do so would “result in OCR’s opening a directed investigation of the District’s failure to comply with Title IX,” according to the letter.
Residents weigh in on legal protections
In a packed standing-room only board meeting Thursday night, community members were divided on how the school board should respond to the letter. Some community members raised concerns that the board’s decision does not comply with Pennsylvania state law, which legally protects transgender students from discrimination under state protections.
Isabella Azzollini, a queer student alumni who graduated in 2020, says she used to be proud to say where she went to high school. That changed following the school board vote.
“We were taught in our social studies classes to fight for what is right, so how can you sit back and look at us and say ‘We’re not gonna help you. We’re not gonna fight for our students,’” asked Azzollini of school board members.
She says the decision will change the lives of many, especially girls who could face increased questioning about their gender identity. “It’s gonna make everyone feel unsafe and scared and not able to be themselves.”
OCR also sent similar Title IX violations to public schools in other states with mixed responses from school districts. Since then, Jefferson County Schools in Colorado pushed back against the Trump administration, saying its policies comply with Title IX.
Other community members like Pike County resident Matthew Contreras felt like the school board made the right decision.
“I think the question of gender identity is something that should be left out of schools,” said Contreras. “[The school board] needed to follow the directive from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and bring the school district into compliance.”
Taylor James, Executive Director of local LGBTQ+ nonprofit TriVersity Center, anticipates that the school board’s decision won’t stop at bathrooms and locker room directives.
“We believe that this will be the first domino to fall and that all protections will be gone, not just for trans students but for LGBTQ+ students. We think this is much more far-reaching,” said James.
The 2016 agreement followed a lawsuit after a transgender student was denied access to use a bathroom that matched their gender identity. The OCR then required the district to adopt more trans-inclusive measures.
The Human Rights Commission reports that LGBTQ+ youth report significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and lower self esteem than their cisgender and heterosexual peers. More than half of transgender and gender-expansive youth reported feeling unsafe in at least one school setting, according to the report.
Community leaders says support will continue, regardless of vote
Superintendent Blaum says support for district students will continue, regardless of the policy changes.
“I would just like our students to know that when things like this happen and they’re upset to please come and speak to members of the school community so that they can have time to talk, to have someone listen to them, and ask questions that they may have on their mind.”
Blaum said in the ten years the OCR agreement was in place, the district had no discrimination issues or complaints.
James of TriVersity Center said that the federal actions were a “blatant overstep from the Department of Education.” He says the Center will continue to be a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth across the Tri-State region.
“To each and every one of you, I need you to know that you belong here, exactly as you are, and that we see you, and the entire community behind us sees you. You are perfect the way you are, no matter what happens in this room tonight,” said James to students at the meeting.
Featured Image: Community members discuss concerns at the March 19 school board meeting at the Delaware Valley High School in Milford, PA (Photo Credit: Kimberly Izar)
We have four children that went to DV K-12 The last graduated 2010 they are all doing very well in life, but we as a family are extremely disappointed in the school board’s decision, I give DV a B- it’s a good school, but through the years there are certain things that are just playing wrong on
I’ve never been more disappointed with the DVSB and Mr Brown. We trusted you to keep our children safe. You couldn’t tell the Tyrant no, why should these kids trust you now? I have never been more ashamed and disgusted with your cowardice decision. You just made our school weaker. Shameful!