The La Center School Board faced sharp criticism Tuesday night, March 25, as several community members spoke out against a district policy that the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) found to be non-compliant with state law.
The policy requires staff to inform parents if a student uses different pronouns at school and prohibits staff from asking students about their pronouns. OSPI determined the directive discriminates against gender-expansive students by violating their privacy and exposing non-gender-conforming students to potential harm by disclosing their identities to parents without consent. The agency has mandated corrective action, but the district has vowed to appeal. OSPI issued its determination on Feb. 26.
Tuesday’s meeting drew a large crowd, with more than a dozen speaking in opposition of the currently maintained policy, including parents, religious leaders and community members. No attendees spoke in favor of the policy during the proceedings. Clark County Pride, a local LGBTQ+ advocacy group that was founded in La Center in 2021, encouraged people to attend the meeting and voice their concerns.
Vancouver Pastor Adrienne Strehlow urged the board to protect students rather than exclude them.
“It is essential for us to stop that kind of exclusionary practice for our children,” Strehlow said. “We need to protect them, and so I want to urge the La Center School Board to enact policies that protect our children from bullying and from abuse and exclusion, and support them and affirm them in their identities and in their exploration of who they are.”
Joseph Farmer, a La Center resident and former registered Republican, criticized the district’s decision to appeal OSPI’s findings.
“The audacity of planning to spend our taxpayer money on a politically motivated legal battle in the state of Washington,” Farmer said. “That makes me feel pretty angry. A legal battle has nothing to do with improving the students' lives or creating a more effective learning environment. Quite the opposite. It is a battle for a policy that specifically targets and makes them to feel unsafe, the students who don't align with your political and religious ideology. ”
Farmer raised fiscal concerns, noting legal fees would be required following a Feb. 11 special election, where voters approved a levy to fund educational programs and operations.
“If this is how you're going to steward our tax money, then you can forget about asking La Center residents in the future for further funding,” Farmer said. “And you can also find (other) jobs when local elections come up.”
Local Reverend April Hall framed the issue as one of human dignity and inclusion.
“How can we justify such judgment and hate for creating a welcoming and loving space for every student no matter who they are?” Hall said. “Instead, the school system should affirm their worth and dignity as you ask every student to do on a daily basis.”
Under state law, if the policy is not reversed within 45 days of OSPI’s decision, the school district could lose funding.
Shortly before its print deadline, The Reflector obtained a copy of an appeal by the La Center School District, dated March 20, which was submitted via email. Neither Rosenkranz nor the board of directors mentioned the appeal during the meeting, despite the superintendent publicly stating his intention to appeal OSPI's decision.
