A transgender middle schooler was left “exposed and vulnerable” during a recent campus safety drill, all because the school couldn’t decide “which locker room would be appropriate for her.”
The Stafford, Virginia campus lockdown drill was meant to prepare students and faculty for a sudden emergency like a mass shooting, but when the kids were separated into locker rooms, the unnamed trans student wasn’t allowed into either one.
Equality Stafford, a local LGBTQ advocacy group, reports she was “forced to watch the adults charged with her care debate the safest place (for the other students) to have her shelter,” and was instead taken to the school bleachers, “away from her peers and identified as different.”
Sensing they were blundering an incredibly obvious-to-solve problem (let her go where she’s comfortable to wait out the emergency drill with her friends and classmates), faculty then brought her back inside, but still wouldn’t let her into the locker rooms.
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Instead, they had her sit in the hallway outside.
“During an event that prepares children to survive an attack by actual assailants, she was treated as if she was so much of a danger to peers that she was left exposed and vulnerable,” Equality Stafford wrote in a Facebook post.
Equality Stafford is planning to show up at the next school board meeting to voice their disappointment and concern about how the school handled things, and a number of locals have committed to joining them.
In an open invitation on Facebook, the group wrote:
Let’s come together as a community and show the school board that Stafford is ready to protect our LGBTQ students and staff. With a new superintendent, we need to introduce ourselves and show that these are important issues. Speakers are welcomed as are those who want to stand in solidarity. If you would just like to come out and support, please feel free to bring a sign, a flag, or wear purple.
Stafford County Schools spokeswoman Sherrie Johnson told WUSA the school board’s superintendent has “requested a review of all protocols and procedures to ensure that all children are treated with dignity and respect.”
“We take such matters very seriously and they will be addressed,” Johnson added in a statement. “The welfare of all students is of the utmost importance for SCPS.”
Mozo83
This is frightening. It matters so much to them which bathroom this student uses, they’d let her die sheltering her in one.
This country just blows.
Me2
Absolutely horrible and completely unnecessary. If this was a safety drill the students should not have been separated by gender. It’s much safer and less complicated to have them to shelter in whichever safe place is closest to them, even if that means all genders in one locker room. There was no reason to single this child out. The staff is just stupid and in serious need of some common sense.
tjack47
This ought have been a no brainer. Even for people this ignorant. Let her in the place she wishes to be in, feels most comfortable in. One thing I will say, at least it was a drill. What had it been an active shooter event? I don’t know about family, but if I were, someone would learn, and rapidly so.
JamJewel
This is crazy! In the event of a shooter there are going to have kids running through the hallways into the line of fire to get to another location? And then, having completely eff up their planning, as the students are running through the halls someone see this little girl and suddenly realizes, “Oh! We didn’t take her into consideration!” instead of just letting the chips fall where they would? Who are these people? I would be really pissed at the horrible plan and planning but of course, the distraction will be on the little girl and not on the SNAFU! {And we all know what those initials stand for!]