A Colorado family is asking their local school district to change its policy after their 11-year-old daughter was assigned a bed with a biological male who identifies as female during an overnight trip.
The controversy began in the summer of 2023, when an 11-year-old fifth-grader went on a cross-continental trip to Philadelphia and Washington, DC. There, students shared rooms (four in one room, two in each bed). Parents were told that the girls and boys would stay on separate floors of the hotel, but one of the girls, known as “DW,” shared a bed with the boys on the first night of the trip. I learned that. She identifies as transgender. A trans-identified student she attended at another school disclosed that information to her.
DW went into the bathroom to call his mother, who was traveling and was not accompanied. Eventually, school officials agreed to move her DW to another room.
DW attends school within the Jefferson County Public School District.
DW's parents, Joe and Serena Wales, should have been informed of this arrangement prior to the trip. The Alliance Defending Freedom represents them.
According to ADF, under current school policy, transgender students are “assigned to share overnight accommodations with other students who share the student's consistently asserted gender identity at school.” That's what it means.
“The policy says nothing about requiring boys and girls who identify as transgender to share a bed,” ADF said in a statement. letter in school. “This policy and practice protects the sincerely held religious beliefs of our clients and their children, their parental rights and the parental rights of other parents in your school district, and the privacy of all students. It violates the rights of
ADF said DW should not have been placed in the same bed or room.
“If a young female student like DW feels uncomfortable sharing a bed with a man who identifies as female, she may shower, change clothes, or sleep several feet away from him. This is likely to cause discomfort,” the letter states.
Kate Anderson, director of ADF's Center for Parental Rights, said the school district “has a policy that allows parents like our clients Joe and Selina Wales to place their children in rooms based on gender identity rather than gender.” “We have not made it clear whether children can opt out of the program.”
“Such opt-outs can be done in several confidential ways to protect the privacy of all students,” Anderson said. “The Wiles family's difficult experience is not isolated. We spoke with other parents who had similar incidents occur during district-mandated field trips for sixth graders.” If county public schools continue to allow students of the opposite sex to room together on overnight trips, the district will notify parents of the policy and allow families to opt out of their children if they feel it is in the best interest of their children. I have to be able to do it. Family.”
Photo provided by: ©Getty Images/Nito100
Video provided by: Fox News (via YouTube)
Michael Faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His story was published in Baptist Press. Christianity Today, Christian Poecent, of leaf chronicle, of toronto star and of knoxville news sentinel.
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