After a transgender student at the Village School in Marblehead was bullied in December, the school, which educates about 700 fourth-to-sixth graders, quickly responded by organizing a professional training session on gender identity and sexual orientation to be held this month for all teachers and staff.
And the response may inspire a district-wide task force “to consider ways to make LGBTQ students feel safer and more welcome in school,” according to WickedLocal Marblehead.
“I am writing to communicate, in no uncertain terms, that this is unacceptable and to reiterate our Village School motto, ‘Keep Each Other Well.’ Students may be receiving messages that it is acceptable to belittle gender diverse individuals. At Village School, transphobia of any kind will not be tolerated,” the school’s principal, Amanda Murphy, stressed to parents, back in December 4.
Now, in early January, Murphy is following up her words with the training session, to be led by Jeff Perrotti, director of Massachusetts’ Safe Schools Program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Students, according to WickedLocal.
Reports WickedLocal Marblehead:
Murphy said this is the school’s first reported case of a transgender student being bullied, and that it violated the school’s anti-bullying policy.
“Punishment is complicated,” Murphy said, referring to bullying cases. “It may be that a student is suspended. Or a student may have to do some education around the issue. It might be both, or loss of a privilege.”
There are “a few” transgender students at Village, Murphy said. “We want to figure out how to learn more and how to appropriately teach staff and parents. And we want parents to have these conversations at home. Parent involvement is invaluable.”
After speaking with all Marblehead principals, Murphy is proposing a district-wide task force to consider ways to make LGBTQ students feel safer and more welcome in school.
“The task force will include parents, teachers, and district leaders, and look at how to introduce this topic and be proactive.”
School Committee Chairwoman Sarah Gold, who is a child therapist, supports the idea of a task force.
“We need to make sure that all students, regardless of who they are and where they’re coming from, all students feel comfortable and safe so they can learn,” she said.
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