The Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) Governing Board held a meeting Thursday night on whether or not to look into a policy limiting the use of restrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex. The board rejected the proposal, agenda item 8.5, in a 3-2 vote. It had become an issue for the district due to a male student, who does not identify as transgender, entering the girls’ restrooms, watching them, and uploading videos he took to TikTok.
Board Member Heather Rooks spearheaded much of the effort. The meeting included comments from members of the public, who mainly supported the policy, followed by a discussion among the board members.
One of the first speakers was Kaley Skelly, who identified herself as a mom with four children attending the school district, including three who are daughters. When she asked one of her daughters how she would feel if a boy used the bathroom, her daughter said she would “hold it” and not use the restroom.
“I feel a policy needs to be approved to protect all girls in this district,” Skelly said. “My daughter should not have to hold her bladder because she does not feel comfortable.”
A woman who identified herself as “Just Mia” emphasized that it wasn’t about “hate.”
“I don’t hate anyone,” she said. “I especially don’t hate anyone struggling with their gender identity … what I don’t like is the hateful rhetoric that’s being put on parents like me. …. The fact is, the district needs a bathroom policy. … Don’t force the entire student body to accommodate for one.”
Next, Melissa Sheridan spoke. She said, “Schools aren’t about sex or politics or grooming.” She suggested those who want to use the bathroom for the opposite biological sex have their own bathroom.
Diane Douglas, who served on the PUSD board, including as president, and who served from 2015-2018 as State Superintendent of Schools, accused the board of not beginning to study the issue after Rooker brought it up, stating that the law requires them to. She said after Brooks brought the suggested language, the board was supposed to begin the study that Rooker proposed. She also said that the board failed to advise parents that it would allow boys in the girls’ restrooms.
Tiffany Benson said the board was improperly looking at it from a financial perspective by expressing more concern about the “tax dollars” that will end up funding a court battle than for the teenage girls.
“From my perspective,” she said, “these girls — the standard is basically the dollar amount that will be sold.”
James Cahill observed, “Many of these bathrooms and locker rooms only have one entrance,” which he found a problem for girls who encounter a male in the restroom. He said the policy must be one “that has consequences.” He said his religion was “irrelevant,” he’s there “for the protection of girls.” He regretted the “social experiment” that has been pushed on transgenders.
Brent Cobb pointed out that the vote being considered was merely to consider drafting a policy, not to adopt a policy. He said, “What I do care about is the individual rights of people to privacy, regardless of sexual orientation.”
Shayna White warned the board, “If you choose to vote against that, we will be faced with some decisions.” She said she would need to request an adult accompany her daughter into the restroom, or take her children out of the district’s schools.
Board Member Rebecca Hill began the discussion among the board members. She said it was the most important issue she’s ever faced while serving on the board. She pointed out that she has a daughter, so she was concerned about the male student in the girls’ restrooms.
Hill said, “The school has allowed this action to continue without establishing accommodation or implementing appropriate consequences,” which she stated was “irresponsible.”
Board Member Melissa Ewing, who opposed the proposal, said she attended a conference on safety with Rooks and other board members. “Not one of those members and anyone at the conference, any of those breakout sessions mentioned that individuals who identify as transgender are a serious threat or harm to our child,” she said. “Not a single one.”
Instead, Ewing said the board needs to make “data driven decisions.” She warned that the controversy could end up at the U.S. Supreme Court, costing taxpayers money.
Rooks said, “Supreme Court, I’m all in, my girls’ safety is more important.” She said, “Everybody knows what happened in Loudoun County. So is that what we’re going to wait for? We’re going to wait for Loudoun County and put our girls through that. I’m not willing to do that, I’m not willing to be held liable for that.”
A male student used an extremely loose “transgender” policy at a school in Loudoun County to identify as a girl by wearing a skirt, and thus was allowed to use the women’s restrooms without hindrance. He then went into a restroom at the Stone Bridge High School in May of 2021 and raped a female freshman.
Hill added, “What about the girls? They outnumber the one person. … I don’t want to wait for the day that a male teacher or staff member decides that he identifies himself as a 16-year-old girl and enters the girls restroom. … You laugh about it as funny, I don’t see it as funny at all.” She explained how she home schooled her child since she thought the public school system was broken.
Governing Board President David Sandoval asked a man addressed as Dr. Davis, who appeared to be a PUSD administrator if there were consequences for going into the restroom that was not the student’s biological sex. Davis said yes. Sandoval asked if that policy was laid out in a handbook or somewhere, to which Davis did not know the answer. Sandoval said he wouldn’t vote yes, and emphasized that he wanted “everyone’s voice heard.”
Hill responded, “What about the girls’ voices?”
She added, “They still have rights.”
Ewing said, “We’re violating that student’s rights.”
Hill said, “But then we’re putting that one person above everyone else. And I have been to the schools and I’ve talked with the parents. I’ve talked with the kids, I have talked with Liberty kids who are crying, who were begging me to set policy to protect them. … It comes down to the biology only.”
She said, “You’re a woman, I’m pleading with you. For women, support us, support our group, support our gender, we’ve worked so hard to get where we are. I’m always shocked that they don’t support their own; support us.”
Sandoval then called for the vote. Hill offered the motion to draft a policy, which was seconded by Rooks. It failed 3-2, with board member Bill Sorenson joining Sandoval and Ewing to oppose it.
A parent told The Gateway Pundit that she confronted the Liberty High School principal about the teenage boy in the girls’ restrooms, and he confirmed that it was a problem. Nikki Eancheff, who is an administrator of the West Valley Parents Uniting Facebook page and has a daughter at Liberty High School, said the principal told her that the boy has permission to use the restrooms, but he has been spoken to about the videos and reprimanded multiple times for loitering in the restrooms.
A couple of days before the meeting, Rooks tweeted a video of a Liberty High School student speaking at a previous board meeting in support of the vote.
This Brave Girl spoke up at the Peoria School Board meeting on April 13th to stop allowing boys into their bathroom at their high school. This Thursday, the Board will vote. Who will protect the girls???
I WILL! @Moms4Liberty @Riley_Gaines_ @Nicoletta0602 @azwokeschools pic.twitter.com/EWutLRZWd3
— Heather Rooks The Notorious Peoria Mom (@ThePeoriaMom) April 25, 2023
PUSD is one of the state’s largest school districts, with over 37,000 students. It comprises 34 elementary schools, eight high schools, and two preschool programs.
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Peoria Unified School District” by PUSDOfficialChannel.
