WESTFORD — The Westford School Committee approved updates to its Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students policy during a meeting earlier this month. The revisions follow months of discussions and legal recommendations to update the language of the policy.
Before the vote, Wendy Gloyd, a resident representing the Westford LGBTQ Friends and Allies group, urged the committee to approve the changes, calling it a critical time for the LGBTQ and transgender communities. “This is a scary time for the LGBTQ community and the transgender gender-expansive community in particular as the current presidential administration has clearly targeted transgender individuals for civil rights violations,” Gloyd said.
The committee’s Policy Subcommittee has been working on the revisions since last year, seeking advice from legal professionals. The policy has undergone several reviews, including public readings and feedback, with the final review taking place on March 3.
Kathryn Clear, vice chair of the School Committee, emphasized that the updated policy aligns with state guidelines and laws. “We’ve had a lot of input from our community, we’ve had input from legal advisors, and we’ve had really robust conversations regarding it,” Clear said. “The recommendation that I am making for the policy is that we approve it tonight. If things change, we can always come back and revisit it.”
The new policy reinforces that Westford Public Schools (WPS) does not tolerate discrimination and recognizes the importance of understanding gender identity terminology to foster a safe, supportive environment for students. It also highlights WPS’s commitment to providing a respectful and inclusive school experience for all students.
The updated policy includes definitions for terms such as “gender identity,” “gender nonconforming,” “transgender person,” and “transition.” It also states that while parents may be aware of their child’s transition, schools will respect students’ privacy and work with them to determine the level of parental involvement.
Additionally, the policy grants students access to facilities, such as restrooms and locker rooms, that correspond to their gender identity.
Several School Committee members spoke in favor of the policy, stressing its importance. “I know that we have students, possibly staff, that this impacts. They are real people who are harmed by taking no action,” said committee member Tom Laflamme. “The policy may not be perfect because we are humans, but it makes a statement that they matter to us.”
Committee members Sean Kelly and others also supported the revisions. “It’s the right thing to do. We need to be focusing on vulnerable populations in our schools,” Kelly said.
The School Committee unanimously approved the updates to the policy on March 3.
