‘WE HAVE 2 GENDERS’: OKLA. BOARD OF EDUCATION DENIES DOCUMENTATION CHANGES FOR TRANSGENDER STUDENTS
News 9 - October 27, 2023 6:43 am
OKLAHOMA CITY –
The State Board of Education met for their monthly board meeting. The agenda was packed once again, with discussion on accreditation, teaching certificates and changing gender on public documents.
Meeting-goers tell News 9 they began lining up in front of the Oliver Hodge building around 3 a.m. to ensure they could get a spot in the room, and a chance to speak to OSDE board members. More than two dozen supporters and critics of State Superintendent Ryan Walters shared their thoughts during the public comment period.
Many people criticized an emergency rule passed by the board in September, requiring their approval to change gender on a student’s enrollment, despite any ruling from a court or judge. The board’s general counsel, Brian Cleveland, claims the gender changes are not authorized by state statute, and says regardless, they are seeing an increasing number of the cases.
“What we want to do is bring common sense to schools. We don’t need to go back and change records based on transgender ideology,” said State Superintendent Ryan Walters. “We have two genders. Those are the genders that are set.”
Two students, one from Moore Public Schools and one from Cushing Public Schools, were looking to change the sex documentation in the district information system.
State board members struck down the proposals unanimously.
“What our board is continuing to do is provide clarity for districts, that we’re going to stand with them against this nonsense from the left. Whether it’s a judge, whether it’s a frivolous lawsuit,” said Walters. “We think it’s a great step to protect the districts and to show them we’re not going to let you hang out there and let some judge or some left wing group of attorneys come after you.”
After the meeting, Walters said that he doesn’t see a circumstance where he would ever vote to approve the change of gender identity for a student.
The next meeting is November 30th at 9:30 a.m.
