Idaho School Board Meeting Erupts in Chaos Over LGBTQ-inclusive Policy
advocate.comA school board meeting in Idaho to consider an LGBTQ-supportive policy devolved into chaos Monday night after a state senator threatened board members with litigation.The Caldwell School Board presented a draft of the policy for public comment.
It uses language from the Idaho School Boards Association and is one of 22 policies under consideration, Idaho Ed News reports.
But it was the LGBTQ+ policy that attracted the most attention.It would allow students to use the restrooms and locker rooms aligning with their gender identity, assure they would be addressed by their preferred pronouns, protect the privacy of their personal information, and assure their right to participate in overnight trips, dances, or other activities without discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.The meeting drew an overflow crowd, with about 90 people packing the board room and more standing outside.
The public comment period quickly became unruly, with most of the commenters speaking against the LGBTQ+ policy and many “speaking out of turn and yelling at the board,” TV station KTVB reports. “At one point when three Caldwell students went up to speak in succession, people began complaining.”Those three supported the policy, while one other student opposed it.
