Regional School Unit 40, which includes the towns of Union, Warren, Washington, Waldoboro and Friendship voted 9-6 to rescind its June decision to delete its protections transgender students Thursday night.
This means the policy will go back in place.
After two heated school board meetings earlier this year, the board voted 8-8 in June to delete its ACAAA policy, which provides guidance to faculty, students and staff regarding transgender students in the school district. Though the vote was a tie, more weight is provided to votes by school board members from towns with larger populations.
The policy requires several things of staff in RSU 40, including keeping the identity of transgender students private if that’s their choice, allowing the students to use the restrooms that most closely match their gender identities, and using their chosen names and pronouns.
About 50 people attended Thursday night’s meeting, with eight speaking in favor of rescinding the June decision, and three speaking against.
Rev. Benjamin Perry, who lives in Union, said the board should bring back the protections. Perry said a transgender child in their congregation recently committed suicide, and that policies like ACAAA let transgender students know they’re safe.
“These are not monumental acts, just baseline assurance that this district embraces the dignity of every child,” Perry said, referencing what the policy requires of RSU 40 staff.
However, Joshua Blackman, a school board member from Warren, opposed bringing back the protections, saying the “woke mind virus” has infected the district. He said transgender people go against nature.
“I pray that everybody’s eyes are open to the true reality of this evil and woke agenda,” Blackman said.
Other board members, including Naomi Aho from Warren and Nichole Taylor from Union, opposed bringing back the policy and said the act of rescinding a vote could violate procedure.
But the chair, Danny Jackson, disagreed, saying rescinding a vote in this manner is fully within legal procedure. Julie Swindler from Warren said a lawyer approved the action.
Board members who voted to rescind the June decision and bring back the transgender protection policy include Jackson, Leah Shipps, Emily Trask-Eaton, Erik Amundsen, Rachel Wilcox, Brooke Simmons, Julia Abernathy and Benjamin Stickney. Board members who voted against include Melvin Williams, Randy Kassa, Aho, Blackman and Taylor.
