Tolland sees new policy for transgender students
TOLLAND — When Remi Dupuis attended Tolland schools, he knew about the homophobic jokes floating through the hallways.
“I did have to come out to start living true to myself,” said Dupuis, who is the former president of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance at Tolland High School and is currently a student at the University of Connecticut. “There was so much bullying in middle school. Anything different was made fun of and shot down. It was a bad experience to be trans in this community overall.”
In a town that has been plagued with recent incidents targeting the LGBTQ+ community, a Tolland Board of Education is creating a transgender student policy that will take the state’s regulations further in the hopes of providing a safe space for all students.
“The policy being created will be the first time that this topic is specifically addressed,” policy committee Chairman Tony Holt said. “Previously, the district has been attempting to identify and work within the state guidelines. The creation of this policy gives the district that foundation to build upon.”
Matt Blinstrubas, executive director of Equality Connecticut, a statewide advocacy organization, said communities like Tolland can set an example for the state at a time of growing tension surrounding civil rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
“Given the climate around anti-LGBTQ acceptance, it’s clear the state needs to step up and support. Not only policies, but resources. It’s a resource question,” Blinstrubas said.
“It’s up to the districts to assess the challenges and issues,” Blinstrubas said. “At a time like this, the rest of state will look at places like Tolland to lead the way.”
Tolland Superintendent of Schools Walter Willett said that the district has been adhering to the state regulations since they were enacted in 2017. He said until the new policy is approved, the district will continue to follow the state’s guidelines when school begins on Aug. 31.
Tolland will use the state guidelines and create its own transgender policy and regulations for local schools, Holt explained.
“The state passes its regulations and guidelines fairly frequently. As a district, we are required to follow the regulations and recommended to follow the guidelines,” Holt said. “The document that was presented by Dr. Willett was a staff guidance covering the state directions concerning the LGBTQIA+ civil rights. The Tolland policy committee has been working for some time on a Tolland-specific policy.”
Going beyond state regulations
During a meeting in July, the Board of Education discussed the current state guidelines, which include addressing a transgender student according to the student’s chosen pronouns and the gender they identify with, even if it is not the one they were born as and it is not shown on their school records.
Under state guidelines, the student’s preferred name and gender also overrides a parent’s preference, should it go against the student’s wishes. A transgender student is not required to show documents reflecting their gender identity, and they do not need to have their
name legally changed.
The guidelines also state that refusal to address a transgender student by their chosen identity can have civil rights implications for the school district. A transgender student is not required to consistently and uniformly dress as male or female because some students may not identify as the same gender all the time.
“What happens when they’re home is up to the family, but the state makes it clear that when a student makes it clear to us how they identify, the school is to follow that,” Willett said.
When it comes to restroom use, schools cannot require a transgender student to use a restroom that is inconsistent with their asserted gender identity, and the sensitivity of other students or parents is not an overriding consideration.
Willett said that a transgender student would have to make it clear to the school what they feel their gender identity is, and then the school system will make sure they comply and honor them.
In school athletics, a school policy cannot categorically ban transgender students from participating on athletic teams consistent with their gender identity.
“The policy is intended to set the district’s goals and vision. It states the conceptual intent and sets the district’s intention,” Holt said. “The policy differs from the state guidelines in that it often goes beyond what it required and articulates our focus. Lastly are the district regulations. These are the operational partner to the policy. The regulations are written by the district staff to explain how to carry out the policy. These are the details that bring the policy to the tactical level.”
Norm Lebron, outreach coordinator for Q Plus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making spaces for queer youth, said New Britain passed its transgender student policy in 2015 and Wallingford passed one in 2018. Hartford and New Haven approved policies in the past year.
“It’s hard to pass something statewide,” Lebron said. “Each town has to decide what it wants to do and how to apply the guidelines. Southington incorporated certain language into their non-discrimination policy and have also named gender identity as a protected class.”
Lebron said a policy is useful, but it also needs to be enforced. “Putting guidelines into practice and having a way to enforce them is a whole other animal,” Lebron said. “The state was never specific. They say the student is able to use whatever chosen name the student wants, and can use it in the school system, but we find when students make the
request, it’s usually blocked, and the request is not taken seriously.”
Lebron also said that in towns without a well-defined inclusive policy, there is pushback from parents who want to be notified by the school system if their child expresses interest in an alternative gender.
Local opposition
Although Holt said that the town’s policy is not being created due to anything specific, an informational meeting on transgender student guidelines hosted by Willett in June was met with opposition from residents who were upset over the state regulations concerning bathrooms.
“It was horrible, it was so bad,” said Dupuis, who attended the meeting. “Everyone ... you could tell a lot of them organized and were determined to complain of people taking advantage of students in the bathroom.”
Tolland-Mansfield PFLAG Chapter President Lisa Day-Lewis said that she believes that an anonymous, anti-LGBTQ+ letter sent to the United Congregational Church of Tolland and a resident was is in reaction to the district’s proposed transgender student policy.
“A faction of people don’t support equal rights for trans and non-binary students,” Day-Lewis said. “They don’t realize a good portion of residents identify and feel unwelcomed and threatened.”
Dupuis said that he thinks it’s important for Tolland to have a policy because it reinforces what the law says, and will expand on what exactly everyone’s role in the community is.
“What’s most important is to defend student rights,” Dupuis said. “Let trans people live like normal people in the school. This is how they can do that. People won’t accept it overnight, but when you lay out the rules, it’s group force acceptance. It will get there, but you have to start with people complaining.”
Holt said that once the committee finalizes a policy, it will be reviewed by the Board of Education for approval.
“The creation of this policy is something that is very important to me,” Holt said. “It is my honor to work towards the betterment of our most precious treasures.”
Day-Lewis said that Willett has been a huge ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
“He cares about making schools safe for kids. He’s doing really great work in a hostile environment. He is powering forward, which is needed,” DayLewis said. “The state guidelines he’s bringing people up to date with are from 2017. He’s trying to keep the school policy current.”
Willett said that although the anonymous letter that surfaced in town is concerning, Tolland schools have safety and security protocols in place, and will continue to hold programming that will keep residents informed and expand their knowledge of the situation, and he has a positive outlook for the town.
“We have programming that provides everyone the opportunity to know more,” Willett said. “The community is great with great people. I have a lot of hope for Tolland. I feel like we’re heading into one of best years ever.”