At their Feb. 12 meeting, Perkiomen Valley School District’s board voted overwhelmingly, by a margin of 7-2, to rescind their Policy 720, which mandated that students could only use bathrooms designated for their “biological sex.”
Policy 720 had been devised and adopted last October by the district’s previous Republican-majority board. In the November elections, however, residents succeeded in flipping the board to a Democratic majority. One of the new board’s first actions was to move to rescind 720.
Supporters of 720 were vociferous in their defense of the anti-trans policy and succeeded in getting the final vote delayed by several weeks, the most recent delay being the previous week’s meeting on Feb. 5.
720 supporters were out in force also at the Feb. 12 meeting. Prior to the final vote, there was over 2 1/2 hours of comments from residents and debate between board members. The residents were split in their position, though the majority of the speakers favored retaining 720. These speakers mostly repeated familiar right-wing talking points, using such phrases such as “pornography,” “indoctrination” and “God vs. Satan.” One mother, in addressing the likelihood of the school’s legal liability if 720 were retained simply said, “So what?”
One resident delivered a petition to the board in support of 720, containing, she said, over 1,200 signatures and comments by residents and students. A subsequent speaker cast doubt on the legitimacy of the petition, alleging the presence of false and invalid names.
Those who spoke in favor of canning 720 included parents who said the policy was harming their children. One mother was in tears as she lamented, “My child no longer goes to school because she doesn’t feel safe. My child cannot participate in school or school activities. My child can’t graduate.”
When the board started debating the policy, opposition to rescinding 720 was led by the two remaining Republicans, Jason Saylor, who authored the policy and spearheaded its adoption, and Rowan Keenan. When the board started debating the policy, opposition to rescinding 720 was led by the two remaining Republicans, Jason Saylor, who authored the policy and spearheaded its adoption, and Rowan Keenan. Both men were explicit that they consider trans people mentally ill, that trans girls were still boys, and that trans boys were still girls, and that there are only two genders, being whatever one is born with.
“How are girls — our daughters — supposed to feel if the so-called girl next to them has a penis?” Keenan said.
Both Saylor and Keenan harped on the oft-repeated Republican talking point of boys being allowed in girls’ locker rooms — when 720 has nothing to do with locker rooms, only bathrooms.
“It’s the same issue. Girls have to be protected,” Saylor insisted, reiterating the implication that trans girls were inherently dangerous to “real” girls.
The two Republicans were countered by members of the Democratic majority. Board Vice President Todd McKinney, who is African-American, countered the frequent conservative argument that the majority of residents support 720 by pointing out, “If the majority ruled concerning civil rights, I’d still be in chains. I’d still be 3/5 of a person. And women wouldn’t be allowed to vote.”
The final vote contained a provision that, in addition to rescinding 720, the board was to continue to work toward a policy that was in accordance with state and federal nondiscrimination laws and regulations.
Perkiomen Valley School District is in Montgomery County, and includes Collegeville, Trappe, Schwenksville, Lower Frederick, Perkiomen and Skippack. It serves approximately 5,000 students.