The membership
of the Committee skews right, 7-5, with at least three members politically
aligned with Moms for Liberty, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “a
far-right organization that engages in anti-student inclusion activities and
self-identifies as part of the modern parental rights movement. The group grew
out of opposition to public health regulations for COVID-19, opposes LGBTQ+ and
racially inclusive school curriculum, and has advocated books bans.”
Since the change n Committee leadership, people have been
watching and organizing, so when Committee Member Polly Hopkin added and item
to Tuesday night’s agenda to refer the Library Media, Title IX
Non-Discrimination/Anti-Harassment, and Gender Non-Conforming and Transgender
Students policy (as well as other policies) “to the Policy Subcommittee and the
School Improvement Teams for review within 30 days” people recognized the
culture war aspect of this move.
In the end, the School Committee members voted to not review
and potentially weaken the Title IX Non-Discrimination/Anti-Harassment, and
Gender Non-Conforming and Transgender Students policies. Public outrage and the
democratic process worked. The Library Media Policy will be reviewed, putting
library collections at risk, but the Chariho School Committee looks like they
have this.
Here’s the video of the School Committee debating the policy
review:
A long preamble:
As Westerly resident Robert Chiaradio approached the podium for his turn at public comment, he was booed by many of the people attending the Chariho Regional District School Committee meeting, held in the Chariho Middle School Auditorium on Tuesday evening.
Chiaradio is an anti-trans Christian Nationalist with ties to the far right Washington County
Chapter of Moms for Liberty and Rhode Island Center for Freedom and
Prosperity. Last year, Chiaradio visited most of the school committees and
school boards in the State of Rhode Island, calling for the removal of policies
that protect the rights, health and safety of our transgender, gender diverse,
and transitioning students.
Committee Chair Louise Dinsmore: Let’s be respectful.
We’re not going to tolerate that. Okay? Go ahead Bob.
Robert Chiaradio: Thank you, Madam Chair, members of
the committee. Congratulations to all the district athletic champions who were
honored at the beginning of the meeting this evening. I’m here to speak about
the girls, specifically, tonight. A federal judge invalidated the Biden
Administration’s attempted illegal hijacking of Title IX on January 9th. Then
President Trump signed two executive orders restoring Title IX to its original
intent, which was to protect citizens, especially girls, against discrimination
based on sex, not gender identity. These executive orders, which are now
federal law...
Audience: No!
Not true!
Chair Dinsmore: Let him speak!
Audience: These aren’t facts!
Chair Dinsmore: [Banging the gavel] Let’s be respectful
of the speaker. We gave everybody their time...
Audience: You started the meeting saying we could not
say things that weren’t true.
Chair Dinsmore: Listen…
Audience: Those are the rules that you [read].
The audience’s outrage was not simply a reaction to Robert
Chiaradio’s bigoted, bullying, and deceptive words. Before public comment
began, Committee Chair Louise Dinsmore laid out the ground rules. “The exercise
of a citizen’s right carries with it a commensurate responsibility,” said Chair
Dinsmore. “Each citizen who makes a public statement has a responsibility to be
accurate, present facts, and not gossip or rumors [and] present information
based upon personal knowledge, not hearsay. Be considerate and allow others to
speak without interruption.”
Back to the meeting:
Chair Dinsmore: I’m going to call for a five minute
recess if we can’t get this under control, okay? Let’s be respectful.
Audience: Speak the truth!
He’s not even a resident!
Chair Dinsmore: Continue please...
Robert Chiaradio: Thank you Madam Chair. These
executive orders, which are now federal law...
Audience: No!
Executive orders are not laws!
Chair Dinsmore: I’ll call for a motion to adjourn. I
will!
Audience: [Large number of people speaking, much
crosstalk.]
Chair Dinsmore: Let’s relax. Let him speak.
Audience: You said no false statements!
Chair Dinsmore: Let him speak.
Committee Member Diane Tefft: Motion to adjourn.
Chair Dinsmore: Do we have a second?
Committee Member Polly Hopkins: Second.
Audience: We need to pass a budget!
Cowards!
Unknown Committee Member: Have the police remove them.
Committee Member Craig Louzon: Hey folks, listen. I
know it’s not comfortable for some of you, and it’s not for me, but let the man
at least speak. You can disagree with him all you want. You can follow him out
the door and disagree with him. Just let him speak…
Audience: Don’t do that.
Committee Member Louzon: ...so we can move on to the
business of our kids.
Robert Chiaradio: I wouldn’t advise that, by the way.
Committee Member Louzon: I don’t care for your
rhetoric, sir.
Chair Dinsmore: I’m going to ask my fellow committee
men and women if they would withdraw their motion to adjourn and their second
please. We have business to discuss tonight. I would like to discuss this
business respectfully. We have a lot to do this evening. I understand
everybody’s point of view. We’ve given folks the opportunity to speak this
evening and I would like to move forward with this meeting, so I’m going to ask
my colleagues if they will withdraw their motion to adjourn and withdraw their
second, please.
Committee Member Tefft: I am now withdrawing my motion
to adjourn.
Chair Dinsmore: Thank you. Okay, we are going to move
forward. Mr. Chiaradio, will you continue? You have two minutes. Please be
concise, and we will listen to you respectfully. Thank you.
Robert Chiaradio: Thank you Madam Chair. These
executive orders keep biological males out of female sports and private spaces
and eliminate the mandated use of pronouns by teachers and staff. You got your
letter recently from the Rhode Island Center of Freedom and Prosperity, which I
won’t go into because of time.
Instead of heeding the bogus advice of the Attorney General,
this committee needs to do two things: Change your Title IX policy. Kids
confused with their sexual identity will be protected by other means, just not
Title IX. People need to understand that. Change your Title IX policy as
Westerly, North Kingstown, Barrington, and others have done, to President
Trump’s 2020 ruling, which protects all people against discrimination based on
sex, not gender identity. That’s Title IX exactly the way it was intended in
1972.
Protect our Girls. You need to dump the RIDE trans guidance
policy, which also violates federal law, and toss Neronha’s letter in the
trash. You cannot continue to place our girls in unsafe, uncomfortable, and
unlawful situations. Oh my. In spite of urgings from myself and others over the
last few years, you continue to sexualize Chariho’s kids...
Audience: [Derisive laughter]
Robert Chiaradio: ...continue to place Chariho’s girls
in unsafe, unlawful, and unfair situations, all because of some sick agenda and
the gutless lack of courage by the leadership of this district.
Audience: You are sick and you are sexualizing them.
He doesn’t live here!
Robert Chiaradio: Now, you have no choice. Comply now.
Chair Dinsmore: I’m calling for order in this
auditorium.
Robert Chiaradio: Comply now or face some very
unpleasant consequences from … the loss of federal funds, etc. Your fascination
with gender identity is over. Thank you.
Audience: Bye Bob!
[Boos and jeers from the audience.]
Later in the meeting, Attorney Jennifer Wood, who has
practiced education law in Rhode Island for over 40 years, including 10 years
as Chief Legal Counsel at the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE),
clarified how executive orders work in reality, and how the law presently
stands in Rhode Island.
Do Trump's executive orders have the force of law?
Jennifer Wood: There’s been a lot of discussion lately
about whether Presidential Executive Orders issued since January 20th require
or compel school districts to revise policies that protect students from
discrimination and require a safe and inclusive learning environment for all
students. I am here tonight to tell you that executive orders cannot compel
policy changes for your district and that federal and state laws and
regulations that have not changed since January 20th prohibit you from reducing
or eliminating anti-discrimination policies.
These legally required policies support safe and inclusive
schools for your students. A presidential executive order is an instruction to
federal agencies as to how to manage their operations. Executive orders cannot
change statutes or regulations. Only Congress, the General Assembly, or
delegated agencies can do those things.
Since the turn of this century, Rhode Island law has
prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We
are the second in the nation to do so and I’m very proud of that. The United
States Supreme Court has recognized that discrimination on this basis also
violates federal law.
You may hear that some federal courts have held that Title IX does not protect transgender students from discrimination. However, these rulings were in other states. The Federal Appeals Court in Boston interprets these laws for Rhode Island. That court has ruled that transgender students are protected from unequal treatment and the federal court in New Hampshire, which is in our appeals court district, has ruled that Title IX protects transgender students from discrimination.
These first circuit interpretations of law are
binding in Rhode Island unless and until the United States Supreme Court rules
otherwise. In summary, federal and state law in 2025 protects transgender
students, and the State Board of Education regulations, which have the full
force and effect of law in Rhode Island, require that your policies reflect
those protections. Please do not reconsider legally mandated policies that
protect students from discrimination and harassment. They provide all of your
students with a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Public Comment:
Public comment came before the Committee took up the item.
Here’s the video:
“While this public comment session is taking place before
hearing what this body's intentions are with policies such as Title IX,
anti-harassment and inclusion protections and the school's current policies for
gender non-conforming and transgender students, I want to make it abundantly
clear where I, a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and many other people in
this community stand on this,” said Jake Blanchet, 2007 Chariho High
School Graduate and ne of the original founding members of the
Gay/Straight Alliance in that school.
“While we have not heard what the plans of this committee
are yet, with the Chairperson and other members of this committee signing on to
the Moms for Liberty pledge, we can assume
they aren't for the betterment of those they protect now. The Moms for Liberty
political group has worked to ban books, censor curriculum that covers LGBTQ+,
critical race theory, and women's rights nationwide.
“Madam Chairperson and members of this committee who have
also signed this pledge, I speak directly to you now: In the March 4th Health
and Wellness subcommittee meeting, the goals were to expand community and
school resources to support mental health. LGBTQ+ youth are four times more
likely to commit suicide. Taking away protections for those who need it does
not align with those goals. Taking away protections for those who need it is
not kind, it is not respectful and it is not in the best interest of all
students. You said their safety and wellbeing are at the forefront of
everything you do. Take this opportunity to stay true to that.”
Spencer is a 31 year old man who was bullied and
harassed out of Chariho High School because he was transgender. His bravery in
speaking out was inspirational. “…if you take [these protections] away or
consider to taking them away, kids like me will suffer. What if your child is
like me? Maybe they don't know yet. Maybe they're watching you, wondering if
this will safe place to be themselves. At the very least, tonight has given me
the closure I didn't know I needed for 17 years. I just hope sharing my story helps
prevent another student from going through what I did.”
There is data that shows that weakening protections for
transgender kids increases bullying, worsens educational outcomes, and
increases the risk of suicide and substance use.
“This committee is going to do what they want to do. So this
message is for children like Spencer,” said State Representative Megan
Cotter. “To all the trans and non-binary kids, kids who feel different, kids
who are bullied, and kids who eat lunch alone that are watching this at home
right now, you are seen, you are valued and you are not alone. No policy can
erase who you are or take away your right to exist as your true authentic self.
No matter what happens in this room tonight, there are so many of us that love
you, see you, fighting for you, standing for you, and making sure you have a
future where you are safe, respected, and free to be who you are. Keep being
you. We have your back.”
“Any changes made to these policies will impact only a
handful of students in a very detrimental way, which is discrimination in its
most basic form,” said Janine Harrington, lifelong Chariho resident,
taxpayer, and parent with a teen currently in the high school. “The Chariho
School Committee is charged with fostering an educational environment that is
safe and free from discrimination for all students regardless of sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity [applause] and to reduce the stigmatization of and
improve the educational integration of transgender and gender nonconforming
students. This is the committee's duty regardless of personal political
affiliations or agendas or personal ideology or opinion. Policy review is
unnecessary as there have never been any recorded instances of issues caused by
TG/NC children at Chariho. There is no evidence to suggest there will be.
“However, there is an abundance of evidence that these
policies need to stay intact. 42% of TG/NC youth report frequently being called
names at school or being excluded. 64% encounter bullying and over half report
that they do not participate in activities out of fear of discrimination.
Approximately one in four TG/NC youth experience some form of sexual assault in
restrooms at schools where restroom and locker room use is restricted compared
to those without restrictions. States that passed anti-trans laws aimed at
minors saw suicide attempts increased by 72%. Dangerous restrictions, being
bullied by peers as well as adults, and being singled out by school districts
contributes to this percentage.
“According to the NIH, gender identity acceptance was
associated with lower odds of past year suicide attempts.
“A wise person once said, love your neighbor as you love
yourself. That is acceptance. I encourage each of you to get to know a gender
non-conforming person. Let them educate you. This is their own personal
journey, not one that's up for public debate. I urge this committee to tread
lightly and act intentionally. What you do next could very deeply impact those
you are charged to protect.
“Gender nonconforming people have always been with us. They
will not be erased. To those listening tonight, we see you, and trans rights
are human rights.”
Dozens of people spoke out at the meeting. All but two who
spoke on the issue of transgender, gender diverse, and transitioning students
were in favor of keeping the protections as they are. Some samples:
“Let's be clear: attacks on LGBTQIA+ students, especially
transgender and non-binary students, are not just about them. They're about
controlling society. They are a deliberate effort to force people into rigid,
oppressive gender roles and erase those who do not conform. This is about
power, restriction, and pushing an agenda that has no place in the school
system meant to serve all students. This should alarm every parent, especially
those of LGBTQIA+ students and students with disabilities. If policies that
protect the most vulnerable are weakened or removed, what comes next? Who will
be the next target?”
“The Chariho School Mission has two sentences,” said Dr.
Lisa McCain. “The second one is "to create a safe and supportive
environment where all students are treated with kindness and respect."
Anti-trans discrimination, in fact, any discriminatory policy, threatens this
mission. Being LGBTQ is not a choice anymore than I have a choice to be born
with blue eyes. It is not a choice.
“We know that trans students are bullied more than their
cisgender students. 38% of trans students are bullied in school and that's just
in person. The rate is 12% for cisgender students. We know that bullying leads
to decreased attendance, decreased academic success, and decreased overall
health. I can vouch that. In 20+ years of practicing in this community as a
family physician, I have seen the effects that this has on students, especially
our LGBTQ students.
“A sense of community, school connections, respect, and
understanding helps all students achieve academic and social success. Our
current climate of derogatory and discriminatory talk and actions will have a
negative effect on all students, not just LGBTQ. It is hard to learn in a
negative environment. It is hard to learn when your classmates or yourself are
in fear. We as adults need to act as role models. We need to put into practice
treating all people with respect. As stated in our mission statement, we need
to be the leaders in our community.”
“I can tell you as a parent of a female athlete, I fear no
transgender person.
“I want to remind the committee that federal law and state
law trumps - that's a funny word - trumps executive orders. We don't have king.
We don't have a dictatorship.”
“Going back to what somebody else said about pronouns:
Pronouns are just part of respect. You're going to call somebody they would
like to be called. If your name is Robert and you want to be called Bob, then
you call him Bob.”
“Our children don't feel threatened. They very much feel
like they're accepting their student body for whoever they may be. And isn't
that the most American thing you can do? To choose your own identity in this
world? I think that is what liberty and freedom is.”
“I'm 70. I get a little freaked out. No offense to anybody
here, but if I see two guys kissing, I'm not comfortable - but that's my
problem. They're not hurting anybody. This is essentially church law. This is
from religious people who think they know who God is and nobody else does. This
is not a church. This is not your church. This is a public school where
everybody is welcome. All faiths are welcome, all ideas are welcome. And to try
to shut them off is about as un-American as I can think of, and I'm not that
great a patriot.”
“You have made children afraid,” said Catherine Giusti,
a former Chariho School Committee Chair. “I cannot believe that that is your
goal, but if that was your goal, you have accomplished it. I talked to my
student tonight and asked her, ‘Are kids working about this?’ and she said,
‘No, mom. Kids are talking about biology class and they're talking about the
Skills USA competition and they're talking about Italian homework. They're not
worried about who is using the bathroom next to them.’
“This is an adult manufactured problem. I filed several APRA
requests, which I'm happy to share with you... There have been no assaults
perpetrated in a Chariho bathroom by transgender students. Zero. But there
were, by boys. So maybe start the conversation with boys. You can't erase
transgender students. You can't erase transgender people. They exist whether
you understand them or not.
“Finally, for those of you who are part of Moms for Liberty,
I'm a mom too. Leave my kids alone.”
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