December-2-2019-Regular-Board-Meeting-Segment-3
[00:00:00] Karen and uh, Jenny tan.
My name is Jenny tan and I live in West Linn. I'm a West Linn resident. Natalie shoveling cannot attend this meeting, but she asked me to share her message. Her message reads, my middle school daughter has heard numerous derogatory comments regarding gay and transgender people. Things like their gross freaks.
When she has set up to these comments, they've said she's a Lesbos liberal. B, it's disgusting in students that West Linn high school would bring Chick-Filet Cubs to school on purpose. To make a really nasty point, there's definitely an underbelly of a lot of negative and harassing comments made in the schools and needs to be addressed immediately.
My own daughter attends West Linn high school and as an ally. He told me about the horrible discriminatory comments that she overheard at school when she has st [00:01:00] announced that they would have a protest regarding Chick-fil-A. She also told me about the Western high school students card that was vandalized because they are transgender.
I went to stand in support of the GSA students on November eight first the GSA students came out and started their speeches. And shortly afterwards, a smaller group of students came out out of high school and stood on the steps and they started chanting several times F-you to the other, to the GSA group, and then they started chanting the word F.
FEG several times these chants made me felt very uncomfortable, was I scared the profanity and derogatory slurs were not directed at me. I was across the street. It was broad daylight. I was with a group of fellow supporters and friends. I'm an adult, so no, I wasn't that scared, but it was really clear to me that if I identify as LGBTQ and had those words said directly to me when I was at school alone repeatedly, I [00:02:00] would be scared.
Most likely I would not want to go to school. LBGTQ rights or human rights. Human rights include a right to safe education. The severe bullying of LBGTQ students is not acceptable. I asked the school board to trust issue and ensure that these kids are truly safe and feel safe at school. I was proud to learn that West Linn Wilsonville school district with a sponsor and partner of the multi, the inaugural multi-city equity summit in October.
I enjoyed seeing all your slides, hearing about your different visits, really understanding that the school was focused on inclusion and equity. I had heard that LGBQT rights were not specifically addressed at the summit, but the principles are really quite sane. I encourage the board to take the learning gain from this event and to give the LGBQT students an equitable and inclusive environment.
And I thank you so much for all your time and service to our [00:03:00] community.
Laura Jeffrey,
is it possible? I don't think I print. Maybe Kara. All right, we'll come back. If somebody didn't get the chance to speak at the end. Uh, Rachel Prosac
This room can be intimidating. Even care state workers tentative. Um, so, uh, Rachel Prosac live in West Linn, two, six, eight, eight Mark Lane. And um, thank you to all the board members for all that you do every day as volunteers and elected officials and putting yourself out there. I really think you.
Um, and I know that we've worked together on a lot of positive things, most recently, the bond and the levy. [00:04:00] And I think that we can work together on making West Linn schools safe for everyone. I'm here tonight to support the students of West Linn, high-schools gender and sexuality Alliance. And I was unsure if representative Courtney Neron could be here tonight.
So I was. Uh, about to state that she was supportive of what I was going to share, but she rearranged her schedule knowing how important this was. And I was also here, uh, with us and Senator Rob Wagner could not be here cause he's also on the school board, uh, where they're having a meeting right now.
And like us, we go and he also wants to send his support of the statement as well. We believe that every student at West Linn high school deserves to feel safe at school and in their community and of the lives of all our kids should be valued and respected. No matter how they identify or who they love, we believe our school system should be places of inspiration for all students.
Senator Rob Wagner and I recently asked West Linn high school to stand with its students and [00:05:00] prioritize its commitment to equity and inclusion. I'm really happy to hear about all the plans you have moving forward, but I am actually here tonight because some of the students didn't feel like they were being heard and then they and their parents reached out to me in my office.
They felt the need to bring attention to hostility and harassment. They've experienced for years at sports games, within classrooms and the halls culminating and slurs and hate crimes and acted on their property. I was about to list the statistics that have already been listed tonight. Um, but it really is important to know that 33% of all GBTQ youth attempt suicide compared to only 6% of their peers.
And that that number is dramatic, dramatically reduced when schools in share comprehensive health and wellness education and a protected by supportive school policies. And this session, thankfully we passed a bipartisan bill at his [00:06:00] act, which will require policies to educate teachers, administrators, and school staff on how to effectively respond to our kids at risk for suicide.
So it will allow all of the schools to have the support they need to address this. The session, Senator Wagner and I also fought for funding for the Clackamas women's services. And when I was doing research on what organizations were coming into schools to support trainings like this, I learned that, uh, their class communities for safe kids is going to start being taught in West Linn high school very soon.
And I know this has really positively impacted neighboring schools that have had them come in and teach their workshops. Communities for safe kids, focus on healthy relationships, bullying, empathy, appreciating diversity, and responding to abuse as a family nurse practitioner in a primary care provider, when [00:07:00] I'm not legislating, I see firsthand how our elders who identified as gay have had to hide who they are their entire lives.
That shame that brings lifelong depression. Often addiction, sometimes suicide and tubs, and often at times death by suicide. We know that West Linn, the West Linn, Wilsonville school district and West Linn high school, strive to achieve what's best for our students. Moments like these demand that we live our values and stand with our kids.
We must do that through timely public statements and more importantly, through meaningful actions. I hope we can all stand together in demonstrating that hate and harassment can not and will not be tolerated. Thank you again for allowing public comment tonight.
thank you, Rachel. I'm Emily. Thank you [00:08:00] tech. Sarah. Excellent. Uh, my name is Emily  and I'm a web Swin resident and my address is on the phone there. Um, I am here tonight, um, actually because I'm applying for a budget committee position, but I also can read my application for that and know why I'm applying for that and what experience I bring to the table.
I would rather spend this moment to speak. To the issue that everybody else is speaking about, and that is what happened at West Linn high school. I'm a parent to two small children. My oldest actually is a kindergarten or this year, so when I showed up at the West Linn high school walkout, a lot of my friends who knew me through other activities asked what I was doing, though.
Would come when my kids aren't there. I actually had one parent say jokingly say, but you don't have a dog in the fight. And the truth is, that's not at all true. I have two dogs in the fight and I was there because I don't want to have to be back in 10 years doing it when [00:09:00] my kids are in high school.
I'm also going to save it. That's why I'm here now. Um, I appreciate and respect everything that you all are doing to help further diversity and inclusion in our schools. I do, however, feel that when students are coming to us and are brave enough to stand up and say, we're not being heard. And when parents who don't even have children at that school are saying, we hear you and we are standing up for you.
I think it's important that all of the adults in our community can say that. And so I'm here now to say in 10 years, if this is another thing that I can tell my kids that I did come and I did stand up. And that I will stand up again. And so if you don't see me between now and then, you will see me again then, although I hope to see you again spring on the budget committee.
Um, but I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to listen to us. And more importantly, thank you to all of the students who are brave enough not only to be here tonight, [00:10:00] but to have walked out and shared your stories. They were amazing and heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time.
And if you've ever made an ally, please know there are many of us in the community. So thank you. Thanks
Thank you, Emily. Uh, Susie Walters.
Uh, hi, my name is Susie Walters. I'm a senior at Western high school, and I would just like to take a moment to explain to you what it means to be LGBTQ in the Western Wilson school districts district. Uh, I came out publicly as a lesbian in 2015 so, you know, since then, I have been a target of ignorance and hatred.
I've been asked inappropriate questions by staff and faculty regarding [00:11:00] LGBTQ conversations. I have been discouraged from signing up for certain required classes. I have been discouraged from attending many West Linn, Wilsonville school events. I have been physically harassed on property. I've been called Dyke, faggot, Lesbos, and queer by my peers.
I have received death threats to my person and to my fellow LGBTQ peers. I had never told anyone. Because I believed that my hurt was by comparison, meaningless to those around me. I didn't realize that being targeted as LGBTQ really even meant anything. It didn't the moments of clarity that wake up, this is wrong.
I was afraid that had I spoken out, nothing would be done and I would be hurt and hurt for nothing and then returned to school the next day and continue to hurt and just a different setup. I hated myself for so long. And I would cover it up and pretend that everything was okay and that I was what I was experiencing.
Was it a big deal in the grand scheme of things? And then it [00:12:00] can all be worst and I should be grateful that I have not been killed yet. I didn't even realize how wrong and horrible my mindset was until I became president of the Western gender and sexuality Alliance. I would have 14 year old children coming to me in fear and confusion, recounting their own hurt.
And I would stand there and I would see nothing but a reflection of myself. Yeah. When I was suddenly a leader to these people who are hurting every day, and for a moment I felt like it had been me who was the one to fail them. I didn't have all the answers and I still don't. However, I will continue to fight for these kids.
I will continue to advocate for them and I will listen to them and I'll go through everything I can to support them because I know what it's like to be failed. I know what it's like to be stuck in darkness, and I know what it's like to hurt so deeply and feel as if. There. It means nothing to everyone else.
So thank you for your time and consideration, and I hope that we can move forward so that we no longer fail these children.
[00:13:00] Madison Walters.
Hi. Sorry. That's very difficult to follow. Um, uh, my name is Madison Walters. I live here in West Linn. I'm not going to disclose by address cause my sister's here tonight. Uh, I use they them pronouns. Um, I'm an LGBTQ alum of the Western Roosevelt school district. I graduated from Western high school in 2015.
Um, I'm here tonight on behalf of my sister Susie's co president of the GSA at West Linn high. Um, I've been with her throughout this whole experience this year. Um, and as someone who remained in the closet [00:14:00] during my time at Western high school, I first want to express how much I admire and respect this generation of students for their courage.
Um, it's difficult to explain how terrifying it feels to come out even when you know, you have a family who will love you unconditionally and a community who will support you. Not to mention coming out when you know your community does not do all it can't protect you or respect you. Um, I wanted to use my time tonight to emphasize that for many gay students, any discrimination we face often feels like a fact of life.
And in a twisted way, our pennants for choosing to be out and for choosing to be ourselves because of this, many students try to ignore harassment or believe that reporting will do nothing or cause more trouble. It is. So important that these students feel safe and empowered to report discrimination.
Systemic violence cannot be addressed from within the system. That's why I urge the district to consider creating a new department for diversity, equity, and inclusion that places staff members in our high schools. [00:15:00] Having neutral entity is that students can trust, will mean that students can feel safer, staff can address injustice effectively, and our district can get a greater sense of the scope of the inequality our students face.
I was so excited to see the work that you've already done. I'm excited to see this plan going forward, but I think it's been proven already that our students don't feel safe. Or don't understand how they can report to their principals and staff and administration currently in this school. Well, I'd read these equity teams are a fantastic first step.
I think more needs to be done to create a neutral entity that students can feel truly safe reporting to without fear of consequence or judgment from their administration. Um, thank you for your time.
Thank you, Madison. Joe Walters.
Good evening. Uh, my name is Joe Walters. I live in West Linn. You have my [00:16:00] address. Um, I'm a father of four students. Uh, a committed volunteer, a friend to the school district. And to many of you, I know that you are thoughtful leaders dedicated to the excellence of our schools. Which is why I'm asking for your leadership now.
There is a problem in our district and a solution is long overdue. On November 8th, my daughter, the West, uh, led by my daughter, the West Linn high school GSA sponsored a walkout to bring attention to an unsafe campus culture following a series of hate crimes, harassment and bullying aimed at LGBTQ students on campus.
Following the event, principal Newman's Senate email to parents that didn't mention why students had, had felt compelled to walk out, identified counter protesters as observers, and [00:17:00] said that it was his job to work toward positive and productive dialogue between all opinions and beliefs.
Considering one of the observers yelled a slur, my daughter, I have zero confidence in leadership right now. This isn't about fast food. It's not about a sports team or religious freedom. I'm not asking the student school district to single-handedly changed the course of LGBTQ rights, but a hostile atmosphere should never be condoned.
And when my child's educational opportunities are compromised because she doesn't feel safe at school, something has to change. There's a pervasive culture of bullying and harassment taking place at West Linn high school, making our students feel insecure, discouraging them from taking certain classes or engaging with certain teachers.
It manifests, manifests itself in chronic absenteeism, inequitable [00:18:00] access to classes and lower overall academic performance. Not to mention anxiety, depression, and suicide. And while today we're talking about our LGBTQ kids, it'll likely be someone else tomorrow. Immediate and decisive action needs to be taken by school and district leadership to reverse this trend of hostility amongst students.
We need zero tolerance for this behavior and serious consequences for those who engage in it. Sensitivity training run by professional organizations should be required for staff and faculty. And they should be empowered to enforce school policies around harassment and bullying. A diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor should be hired at each school to provide a safe outlet for people to report issues and the gender neutral bathrooms should be unlocked and made available to those who need them.
Each [00:19:00] and every student should feel safe at school. I'm asking for strong leadership and I offer any assistance I can to make this happen.
thank you, Joe. And I have, I believe it's Billy Henderson.
Hi, I'm Billy Henderson. I'm a bit less prepared than the rest of them, but it's fine. Um, I'm a student at Western high school, so I'm not going to say my address. Um, but I was a student whose code was vandalized, and that's not the only discrimination I've faced. I do. Even still walk through those holes and get called tranny, get called queer, get called Baga.
I'm afraid to go in the bathrooms on my own. [00:20:00] I'm even afraid to just walk to class on my own because after the walkout, I spoke at the walkout and announced myself and by identity to a lot of the people at the school. And now with so many eyes on me and knowing that my community was already targeted, I really don't feel safe walking into that school.
And the lack of admin involvement really does have me angry. When I heard that, um, Susie was asked to shut down the walkout after, um. The counter protest is so walking closer, I was very furious. Um, and it shouldn't have to come down to the [00:21:00] students doing the adults job. Suzy shouldn't have to do what she's done, but she is doing it and she's doing it perfectly.
And we really, we really do need in, um, diversity and equity advisor in the schools. We do need to enforce, um, we need to crack down on this LGBT discrimination. Even like passing comments that teachers may hear in the halls. Those as those passing comments that I hear and that strike me down.
That hit me and. It's, it makes walking through those halls a daily struggle. We need to create a safer environment for LGBT students and also the bathrooms. Yeah. That's kind of insane that there are two gender neutral bathrooms and they are almost always [00:22:00] locked, so thank you. That's all I wanted to say.
Thank you, Billy. Is there anyone else who had hoped to address the board this evening that didn't get the chance to. Okay. And as I mentioned earlier, um, this time is not, not the best opportunity for our board to respond directly to your concerns, but I can let you know that we have heard each and every speaker this evening, and, um, that.
We hear you and we hear your concerns. And I can share that in the past when we've, especially when we've had students come speak to us, whether it's about creating policies around harassment and bullying, um, our board has listened, listened, and then been able to, to create those desired policies.
I also know that our board, um, when asked [00:23:00] by students for a better or. A illustrated process for presenting complaints when there are policy violations that we were able to work with our students and create a better process for submitting your current turns through a complaint process. And, um, I know that we've also heard our students when they asked for a more comprehensive sexual education, um, when they asked for that.
And this board responded by approving, um, that comprehensive. Sexual education plan. So, Mmm. That being said, this board does listen and usually acts in response to that, and so,
all
right, I'm going to take a five minute break and then we will [00:24:00] reconvene.