Students, parents react to Title IX changes in Wake County Schools

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- On Tuesday night, the Wake County School Board approved an updated version of Title IX in the district that broadens protections around sex-based discrimination and harassment based on gender identity. The new policy adheres to new guidance from the Biden administration that goes into effect on August 1.

A large crowd attended Tuesday's board meeting for public comment, including Rowan Bilodeau, a non-binary student at Willow Spring High School.

"It doesn't matter why I'm being targeted or like how different I am from other people, it should matter that it's happening and it should stop," Bilodeau said.

Rowan said navigating school as a gender-fluid student has taken a real emotional toll.

"There was one day at lunch that I, my friend wasn't there," they said. "And so I was sitting alone at my table, and this whole group just crowded around me with their phones out just taking pictures of me. And they posted them on Instagram, making fun of me for just sitting there eating lunch."

Rowan shared their personal story in front of the packed meeting on Tuesday, which included advocates on both sides of the issue.

"It wasn't really actually changing anything about it," they said. "It was just making it more specific so that people understood everything that it encompassed. And I think that it's really important for Title IX to encompass everything."

At hand was the approval of changes to Title IX in Wake County Public Schools to include sex-based discrimination and harassment and discrimination based on gender identity. The measure passed 7-2.

"We're going to follow the law, and if the law changes, we'll change our policy," Board Chair Chris Heagarty told ABC11.

The district's legal obligation to match Biden's policy is murky, but Heagarty said falling out of step with the federal government has real implications.

"They have a big stick in this, which is, technically they can withhold all of our federal funding. And for the Wake County School System that's millions and millions of dollars," he said.

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District 1 Board Member Cheryl Caulfield was one of the two board members to vote down the measure.

"This is opening up a door that is now going to create an unsafe environment for biological girls because they cannot say anything about somebody being in their bathroom. They cannot say anything about them being in the locker room," she said.

Caulfield said she supports safe spaces for trans and non-binary students -- including building non-gender specific bathrooms -- but has concerns about the updated policy's broadness and what it means for the district's female students.

"Title IX was created to protect women's rights. And I think that we are bringing way too many political polarized adult problems to our school system," Caulfield said.

Jessica Lewis, a mother of two middle schoolers in the district, shares those concerns.

"Now if they speak up, they'll be punished for harassment and bullying under this policy," she said.

Lewis wants Wake County to protect all its students but thinks the district's priorities have changed.

"Our school system needs to focus on literacy, math, get back to the basics, just an education - but keep the environment safe for all students," Lewis said.

Board Chair Heagarty told ABC11 that the district's lawyers believe rules governing bathrooms and locker rooms won't be impacted since there's already prevailing legislation that governs that. Caulfield said she'd also support strengthening the district's anti-bullying policy.