When Waterbury Public Schools’ students want to use the bathroom safely during the school day they have to jump through several hoops. In the high schools we attend, bathrooms are locked for most of the day and there are limits to how many times any student may be excused from class to access a restroom.
At Kennedy High School, we can only sign out once per day, and must scan a QR code to fill out a virtual sign out sheet, as well as carry a physical pass. In most cases we are met by bathroom monitors who oversee students’ bathroom arrival and departure. For other students an escort is required. We believe these practices and policies significantly reduce any students’ ability to access restrooms.
For LGBTQIA students, especially transgender and non-binary students in Waterbury, it is worse. We believe our health, safety, and security must be acknowledged and acted upon by the Waterbury Board of Education as soon as possible as it has been over two years since the district strengthened its policies addressing bathroom access. We believe this is a governance issue now.
In 2021 we partnered with community organizations, students, elected officials, and school staff to pass a new policy that would recognize the importance of our concerns and establish greater amounts of access to an inclusive restroom system for transgender and non-binary students.
Waterbury Public Schools Policy #5145.53 is postured to support and protect transgender and gender non-conforming youth. The policy covers a wide breadth of topics from a student’s records to their preferred name to restroom accessibility. Per the policy, students have access to whichever restroom corresponds to their gender identity and “any student…who has a need or desire for increased privacy, regardless of the underlying reason, should be provided access to a single user restroom.” This was a step towards becoming a more equitable and inclusive school district. However, the lack of single-user or gender neutral bathrooms persists.
Many Waterbury schools still do not have gender neutral options available for their students despite the Waterbury Board of Education’s obligation to fund the implementation of gender neutral bathrooms.
At schools where gender neutral bathrooms have been implemented, such as at Kennedy High School, there has been no real announcement or notification that the bathroom is open. Students have expressed not knowing the bathroom was an option or where it was located. At another school, the only gender neutral bathroom is located out of the way and out of sight in the basement. This is dangerous for students who are already exposed to threats of violence and harassment.
In the absence of gender neutral bathroom options for students, trans and non-binary youth must choose between the gender-segregated restrooms available to them. They are often faced with the question of which bathroom to use and concern over how other students will react.
Trans and non-binary students will avoid using the bathroom at school, citing their discomfort with using either gendered bathroom. According to the National School Climate Survey, conducted by GLSEN, it is all too common for transgender and non-binary students to avoid school bathrooms because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable. The GLSEN 2019 State Snapshot estimates there are 950 transgender youth (age 13-17) in Connecticut. 2 in 5 transgender students reported being unable to use the bathroom that aligned with their gender. Many trans and non-binary students in Connecticut find themselves facing such discriminatory practices without school-based protections since, sadly, only 15% of Connecticut schools had official guidelines or policies to support transgender and non-binary students.
Funding for supporting this policy is available. For comparison, running parallel to the push for gender neutral bathrooms is Waterbury’s commitment to implementing HVAC and air quality improvement in their schools. Over the past few years, millions of dollars have gone into implementing better heating, ventilation, and cooling systems in the district’s schools. This is great work which aligns with Connecticut’s initiative for Building Safe and Healthy Schools.
The implementation of gender neutral bathrooms should receive the same attention and urgency. Their absence from Waterbury schools indicates learning environments that are safe and healthy for some, but not all. How can we claim to be building better schools if trans and non-binary students do not feel safe using gender-segregated bathrooms? How can we claim to have healthy schools if students are compelled to go all day without safe, comfortable access to a bathroom?
The Waterbury Board of Education has yet to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with a group of students about this issue, but the offer still stands. Going forward, the Board of Education must offer increased transparency around the implementation of gender neutral bathrooms, particularly if there are plans for additional bathrooms, where these bathrooms are — or will be located, and clarity for students when they are available for use.
Open communication between the Board of Education, Waterbury Public Schools, and the students they are meant to serve will be crucial in the development of safe, healthy, inclusive schools for all students.
Finally, the Waterbury Public School system, especially the board of education, has a legal obligation to support and accommodate its transgender and non-binary students. However, progress has been slow and many invested students find themselves with lingering questions and concerns. As members of R.A.C.C.E., we have and will continue to encourage the Waterbury Board of Education to take students’ questions and concerns seriously. We are demanding Waterbury Public Schools uphold policy #5145.53 by funding the construction of restrooms, implement training programs for staff, add supportive programming for LGBTQIA students, and to include students’ experiences in this process.
Robert Goodrich, Executive Director of RACCE on behalf of student organizers Lucient T., Gabi A., Nyxie J., & RACCE Community Organizing Intern Chenoa Greenlee