ROCHESTER (Michigan News Source) – Middle school girls who attend Hart Middle School in Rochester Community Schools are “seeing something” and “saying something” about a boy who is using their bathrooms. Now, they expect the school board to “do something.”

What’s going on?

The school board heard from several concerned students and parents on Monday night regarding a boy who is allowed to use the girls bathroom at school.

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One student spoke and said, “We have a biological boy using our bathroom and staff blocking off our bathroom [and] restricting girls from entering as this biological boy uses our bathroom.” She went on to say, “Encountering a boy in the bathroom makes me feel uncomfortable and unsafe. No girl should ever be uncomfortable because there’s a boy in the bathroom alongside of them.”

She pleaded with the board. “We need a solution that ensures the privacy and safety of all students.”

“Ensure all girls feel safe.”

A second student took the mic afterwards and explained the moment she realized a boy was using the girls bathroom. “We felt overlooked and disrespected,” she said. “While I support transgender individuals, allowing someone to use the girls restroom can create an unsettling environment for young women like myself. It is crucial to take action to ensure sure all girls feel safe and comfortable in spaces designated for them.”

One mom, who has sent her children to Rochester Community Schools for the past 27 years, teared up when she recalled a district that used to “provide the best education for our children.”

“The issue needs to be addressed on the district level,” she said after indicating the school principal had treated her concerns with respect. She continued, “I find it shameful that adults are attempting to bully these 13 year old girls into silence and submission by accusing them of not being truthful and not taking their feelings into consideration.”

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“Far right” agenda?

Another community member had a different take on what she viewed as fears over “deeply engrained societal norms.” She said, “It’s an effort to dismantle public schools and push a ‘far right’ agenda.”

While the issue was not resolved at Monday’s meeting, one woman pointed out that all students in the district, regardless of sexual identity, deserve to feel safe in the district. “Students deserve equal rights but not extra rights,” she said during the public comment period.