LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Dozens of parents and activists gathered outside the Hempfield School District administration building in support of trans students. The Hempfield School Board is currently weighing a proposal that would force student athletes to play on teams based on their birth gender.
“It’s concerning to me not only as a parent, but as a community member as well," said Christine Brown.
Brown is a retired school counselor from the Hempfield School District. She says the policy would cause considerable harm to transgender students in the school district.
“Statistics show how high the suicide rate is for trans kids just existing, let alone being excluded in situations in their school or community," said Brown.
The proposal has been discussed at two previous school board meetings, where board members indicated their support. Several parents also previously voiced their support for the plan.
“Voting yes for (the proposal) is a huge step in the right direction," said one parent at a May 2022 meeting.
“I would like to thank the board members who showed the resolve to protect the integrity of women’s sports," said another parent in support of the proposal at that same meeting.
Jean Pretz says the Hempfield School Board should think long and hard about before voting for the proposal.
“Hempfield taxpayers are gonna be faced with a lot of lawsuits trying to defend something that isn’t even fair and not even a big threat to our communities," explained Pretz. "Let them compete on the team that matches what they perceive is their gender identity."
The board is expected to vote on the policy on July 12th.