While it wasn’t on the agenda, the Bartholomew Consolidated School Board heard nearly an hour of public comment Monday night on a policy, put in place in 2013, that the school board says is about not allowing discrimination. Specifically, the policy added those with “gender identity” issues as being a protected class.

A number of parents recently began discussing the change and expressed concern about boys and girls sharing the same restrooms and showers. This unidentified mother expresses her concerns, which were repeated by others, that the BCSC Board is more concerned about the minority than what the majority of parents want…

Adam Kerrigan, the father of girl about to enter high-school, told board members that there is a better way…

Public comment seemed to run about 80-percent who were opposed to the change and 20-percent who supported it. Jason Tracy expressed support for the school board…

Dr. Jill Shedd, BCSC board president, told the crowd that the goal of the school corporation is to insure the safety of all students. She noted that this is a new period of societal norms that administrators will have to wrestle with, hinting that the policy could evolve as time goes on. Shedd added that each case is handled in a private manner, with the child, their parents and the principal of that school to find what works best in each situation.

New BCSC Superintendent, Dr. Jim Roberts, said that this is an issue affecting schools all over the state, as well the country. In many of these cases, he says that school boards receive guidance from federal officials. Dr. Roberts also stressed Shedd’s statement that all members of BCSC put the safety of all students first.

No action was taken by the BCSC Board on this issue. While a few parents suggested that they may keep their children out of school as a sign of protest. No speakers publicly made that proclamation.