The Peoria Unified School District in Arizona will consider an agenda item at tonight’s board meeting “to determine whether or not the Governing Board should adopt a formal policy that limits the use of bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex.”
The meeting will be held at 6330 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale, Arizona 85306, at 6:00 pm MST. Watch live below.
The agenda for tonight lists action item 8.5, stating,
MeetingApr 27, 2023 – Regular Board Meeting, 6330 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale, Arizona 85306
CategoryAction ItemsSubjectDiscussion and Possible Action Regarding Whether to Direct Administration to Prepare the First Draft of a Facility Use Policy for PUSD Student Bathrooms and Locker RoomsTypeAction, DiscussionBackground: The District does not currently have a Governing Board policy regarding bathroom or locker room use. The purpose of this agenda item is to determine whether or not the Governing Board should adopt a formal policy that limits the use of bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex. Any draft policy would be brought before the Governing Board through the normal policy adoption process.
Presented By: Dr. Jason Reynolds, Superintendent
Nikki Eancheff, whose daughter is a student at Liberty High School, told us, “There was a rumor that this student, a biological male, was using the girls’ bathroom, and he had made videos and posted them on his Tik-Toc page, so, I called the principal. The principal informed me that yes, there there is a boy, a biological boy, that has permission to use the girls’ bathrooms and that he had spoken to him about the bathroom video, and also that he had been reprimanded several times for loitering in the bathrooms in August of 22.”
“I’m concerned about my daughter’s safety in a public bathroom,” she added.
Eancheff had “no idea” that this was a policy before hearing about it. When she tried to get more information on the policy, she says she was “just was getting sent back and forth between the principal to the district, to the board, back down the line and not getting any information.” “I’ve called it a secret practice,” said Nikki.
Eventually, the principal and the school district both claimed they “had to allow this according to federal law,” says Nikki. “I had spoken to an attorney myself, and the truth is, there is no federal law, no state law, and no prevailing court ruling in Arizona that demands that they allow students to use the bathrooms of their opposite sex,” she continued.
Nikki further stated, “I don’t know why they’re doing it, but they’re not compelled to. There is no law, and there is no ruling. The Department of Education cannot withhold funding from them based on a complaint along these lines. So, they are simply choosing to do it under what they call a practice, but they were unable to fully define or provide a copy of the practice to me, and it is not available anywhere for any student or parent who attends a school in this district to access, and this is a district-wide practice. So there are 37,000 students in the Peoria Unified School District. And just speaking of liberty alone, there are 2,659 students there. And there are three that have permission; I don’t know how to put this. They don’t want to use the bathroom of their biological sex. Two of them agreed to use a single-person bathroom that is located in the nurse’s office. It is this one biological male who insisted on using the girls’ bathrooms. And it’s important to note that the principal also confirmed that if he chose to, he could also use the girls’ locker rooms and showers alongside the girls.”
One hundred thirty-four female students “have concerns have fears and have come and spoken to a parent,” and “those are just girls that have come to us. I’m sure there are more,” said Nikki. The principal of Liberty High School also told Nikki that more than 20 parents had called him with concerns about the current rule.
At a previous board meeting, one brave high school girl spoke out against this policy of allowing boys to use girls’ restrooms, telling board members that girls “are uncomfortable and in fear” of the current policy allowing this.
Say you have a daughter, around freshman. Let’s say she’s in PE class, she needs to dress out. Imagine a, let’s say, trans man watching your daughter change. I don’t know if you guys would feel okay with your daughter stripping down and a guy watching her. Your daughter’s privacy would be invaded and she will forever be scarred and she would remember that. Us high school girls should not be unfair to use the restroom or change in the locker room. I’m here today to speak out for these girls that are uncomfortable and in fear. This is not right and we do need to change now.
Peoria Unified School Board Member Heathe Rooks shared the clip on her Twitter page, vowing to protect girls in the restrooms.
Rooks: This Brave Girl spoke up at the Peoria School Board meeting on April 13th to stop allowing boys into their bathroom at their high school. This Thursday, the Board will vote. Who will protect the girls??? I WILL!
This Brave Girl spoke up at the Peoria School Board meeting on April 13th to stop allowing boys into their bathroom at their high school. This Thursday, the Board will vote. Who will protect the girls???
I WILL! @Moms4Liberty @Riley_Gaines_ @Nicoletta0602 @azwokeschools pic.twitter.com/EWutLRZWd3
— Heather Rooks The Notorious Peoria Mom (@ThePeoriaMom) April 25, 2023
For all Eancheff knows, there are currently no regulations around this policy or safeguards in place to protect girls, “one of them being how would a student know which students have permission to be in the bathroom and which students don’t?”
If the school board does not pass restrictions on biological males using the girls’ restrooms and changing area, Nikki Eancheff says it is a “dereliction of their duty.” “I think that they owe it to all of the students and all of the parents to provide the clarity of a policy around this. All students’ concerns and privacies need to be equally addressed, and right now, their practice only addresses the safety and concerns of one student at the expense of all others,” the mother continued. “Two board members did respond and said they wanted to help resolve this for the girls, but the rest just completely ignored that 134 Girls are upset about this.”
The policy will need the support of three out of five board members to pass.
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