GREENFIELD, Wis. — A tense debate was underway at the Whitnall School District Monday evening over a new student pronoun policy. The proposal would ban staff from using different pronouns or names for students unless they have parental consent.
Tensions started even before public comment. The board started off by debating with each other on whether or not this action should have been brought to Monday's meeting at all; some board members saying it should have gone to the policy committee for discussion before coming to the full board.
After a tense discussion, the board's president and chair of the policy committee decided to bring the measure back to the committee for more discussion. Public comment started after, with community members sharing why they were both against and in favor of the measure.
One member shared, "I strongly, strongly encourage the board to have any policy that has the slightest echo of any of this, sorry, I need to watch my temper on this, any of this language that is directly damaging to children."
Another parent shared, "Parents have the right and responsibility, and school has the responsibility and transparency to notify me if my child is using a different name or pronoun than their assigned birth name and gender."
The school board postponed voting on the proposal.
The policy was drafted by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. It is now heading to the policy committee for more discussion before potentially making it back to the full board for a vote.
Members of the board who were in favor of the policy called it a pressing issue that needs action. Others, however, said it gives into conservative special interest groups.
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