A Wisconsin-based law group is demanding answers from its local school district after a transgender student exposed himself to four high school freshmen girls.
The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty (WILL) claimed Sun Prairie Area School District (SPASD) did not “adequately address” a violation of students’ privacy rights after an incident occurred at Sun Prairie East High School (EHS) locker room in March.
According to the group, four freshman students participated in a swim unit during the first hour of P.E. class. After class, the girls went into the locker room to shower when they were approached by an 18-year-old transgender student.
The student announced “I’m trans, by the way”, proceeded to undress, and then “exposed his male genitalia to the four girls in the shower.”
The students did not initially report the incident. However, the school’s associate principal, Heidi Walter, was later notified but no report was filed to the school’s Title IX coordinator, WILL cites.
“Under federal law, the incident should have been reported to the Title IX coordinator, who should have then contacted the girls, offered supportive measures, and provided them an opportunity to file a complaint,” reads a statement.
They add, “Supportive measures might have included accommodations to maintain their access to education and adequate privacy in the locker room at least while a Title IX investigation was pending. No one from the District contacted any of the girls’ parents at that time, and no one investigated. To be clear, that means that the District’s initial response to this incident violated Title IX.”
The Sun Prairie Area School District has pushed back against the allegations telling parents in an email that it addressed the situation when it occurred in early March, but student privacy laws prohibited the district from providing details.
“The simple truth is that this incident should not have happened,” SPASD wrote. “But it did, and the District addressed it long before the recent publicity.”
CBN News reached out to the Sun Prairie Area School District (SPASD) and Sun Prairie East High School to comment on the incident. They have not responded at this time.
District administrators told parents that “steps have been taken to ensure that it does not recur.”
“School districts need to think through what loosening boundaries for single-sex spaces could mean for girls,” explained Libby Sobic, WILL Director of Education Policy. “Parents are understandably concerned about whether school districts—like the Sun Prairie Area School District—are doing everything required to protect girls in bathrooms and locker rooms. WILL is calling on the district to act promptly to restore a sense of safety and privacy in its schools.”
Dan Lennington, WILL Deputy Counsel, added, “Public schools have two basic jobs: educate our kids and keep them safe. All too often our schools can’t do either. This is a wakeup call to all parents and taxpayers to become more informed about their local public school district and demand accountability.”
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