News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Community members fill the Alpena Public Schools boardroom at the APS Board of Education meeting on Monday night.

ALPENA — At the Alpena Public Schools Board of Education meeting Monday night, board member Monica Dziesinski explained her reasoning for asking the board to review a policy from Fairview Area Schools addressing student physical privacy.

Fairview’s Policy 5900 regards the student use of restrooms, locker rooms, and shower facilities.

The policy defines biological sex as “the biological condition of being male or female as determined at birth based on physical differences, or, when necessary, at the chromosomal level.”

“Student restrooms, locker rooms, and showers that are designated for (1) biological sex shall only be used by members of that biological sex,” the policy states.

“In any other school facilities or settings where a student may be in a state of undress in the presence of other students (i.e. changing costumes during school theatrical productions, etc.), school personnel shall provide separate, private areas designated for use by students based on their biological sex.

“Students that exclusively and consistently assert at school that their gender is different from their biological sex shall be provided with the best available accommodation that meets their needs, but in no event shall that be access to the school restroom, locker room, or shower of the opposite biological sex,” the policy states.

“Such accommodations may include, but are not limited to: access to a uni-sex restroom; or controlled use of a faculty restroom, locker room, or shower.”

In a packed board room, members of the public came forward to speak their minds about the policy, including two students from Alpena High School.

In a letter read at the meeting, community member Janet Fairchild expressed her views on student privacy.

“I read through the Fairview policy you attached,” she said. “While I understand why it may be appealing as a framework, I wonder if it is the best fit for Alpena, given the difference in the district’s size and diversity, it might be helpful to expand the policy review to other districts that are more comparable to APS in terms of student population and demographic makeup.”

Colin Hainstock, a student and representative from the student council at AHS, told the board about his experience as a student.

“Currently, the AHS bathroom policy aligns with national standards where boys use boys bathrooms and girls use girls bathrooms, without questions of their biological or chromosomal identity,” Hainstock said. “Transgender, non-binary, and gender fluid students are all welcome to use the all gender bathrooms, which we believe many already do.

“To our knowledge, there have been no concerning incidents at this time,” he said.

“Language used in the proposed changes is harmful and discriminatory, serving more as a political stunt than a genuine effort to improve student well-being,” Hainstock said.

Speaking on behalf of the student body, Hainstock strongly urged the board to maintain the current bathroom policy at AHS.

His speech received a round of applause from the audience.

A teacher from Thunder Bay Junior High said there are more pressing concerns about behavior in bathrooms that have nothing to do with gender non-conforming students, like spreading peanut butter on toilet seats.

“I think that this is a waste of time to talk about, and I think that it is slightly ridiculous, and as many others have already said, there are more important things to worry about,” she said.

Dziesinski addressed the concerns of the community about reviewing the student physical privacy policy.

“I am honestly really happy that all these people showed up so they can hear exactly what we’re saying, because sometimes they get bits and pieces,” she said. “I’m very happy they brought up the critical issue of federal funding, which is a big issue that we need to discuss.”

Dziesinski linked the bathroom policy and the federal funding issues together.

“When this physical privacy policy was brought up, I brought up a list of all the schools that were currently being looked at because they were not following the federal law,” she said. “They were being investigated at the time to possibly lose their funding.

“This got brought up because we do not have a formal policy in place right now at APS, and all it’s going to take is the office of civil rights violation to be filed against us,” Dziesinski continued. “We will then have a federal investigation, and then funding could be withheld.”

However, Superintendent Dave Rabbideau responded that their attorneys advised against creating a policy like Fairview’s and have not provided guidance yet on what a student physical privacy policy should look like, if any should be added.

Dziesinski suggested that they should continue discussing the matter at the next workshop meeting.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.