Over 100 students protest on Monday after Lawrence High School students shared transphobic slurs in a group text.

They were calling for action against the student-athletes who mocked trans people in a huge 200 strong Group Me chat.

Initially, the school distanced themselves from the chat as it happened outside of school hours.

Jonavan Shepard one of the student organizers told Gay Star News:

‘We were told that we couldn’t do anything about the transphobic people unless those transphobic messages were sent during school hours, but our school has a specific policy about athletics and “unsportsmanlike conduct.”‘

Shepard showed some of the comments to Gay Star News, which they put on posters around the school like this one:

When the school wouldn’t intervene, students put these posters up around school which they share with Gay Star News.

Members of the school’s Total Equality Alliance staged a sit-in at the school in the midwestern US state of Kansas.

Demands included detentions for those involved filled with LGBT+ education lessons and written apologies.

However, there were school-wide measures too, calling for a new anti-discrimination panel at the school.

It began in the second period of the day, after students passed out pin badges and ribbons at the start of the day.

As a result, the school’s rotunda was full of students by the end of the day rising steadily as the day passed.

Around 100 students currently attending a sit in protest regarding transphobia in our school. pic.twitter.com/2njwDKyYG2 — LHS Budget (@lhsbudget) September 18, 2017

Holding signs including ‘Trans Lives Matter’ and ‘When did you stop standing up for your students’ the students held the protest for the majority of the school day.

There was particular frustration that those who made comments played in a football game last Friday.

‘It wasn’t really a shock to us, but it was alarming,’ student organizer Elliot Bradley told The Lawrence Journal-World. ‘It was really difficult for us to handle, knowing that these are people who represent our school.’

The comments included ‘if a (transphobic slur) hits you is it still hitting a woman or no?’

Peaceful protest delivers anti-discrimination policies

Lawrence Public Schools spokesperson Julie Boyle confirms in an email to The Star that Lawrence High students held a sit-in. Furthermore saying the protest was peaceful, and school administrators went to hear the protester’s concerns. She says:

‘Lawrence High is committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students. It does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.

‘When the facts about these concerns are gathered, the administration will take action as is appropriate in accordance with Board Policy and the Student Handbook.’

In addition, Boyle said students left after meeting with administrators.

By the end of the day, some of the student’s demands were met. This includes an anti-discrimination panel and safe space in the school.

Etana Parks a trans student at the school who helped organize the protest confirmed:

‘The students who were transphobic and did the bullying will be disciplined to the full extent of Lawrence High School policy.

We now have a new task force of LGBT teachers and teachers of color that be making some of the decisions regarding policies concerning marginalized groups at LHS.

‘We will also get a new safe space in the coming days for trans students and those who feel unsafe.’

Delivering a further message going forward, she says:

‘Our message to them now is that we will continue fighting for trans youth, LGBT youth, and all marginalized groups. We want them to know that we won’t settle for any less than what we deserve, and that’s for students to feel safe in LHS as well as the bullies to be punished accordingly. We won’t ever give up fighting.’

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