A new school year brought a new policy for transgender students at Great Hearts Academies after a 2016 policy prompted protests.

The new policy is giving the LGBT community hope for a better future for students in one of Arizona's charter schools networks, allies said.

Former policy

Great Hearts created the former policy in 2016. It impacted students like Jude Stone, who entered Scottsdale Preparatory Academy as Elizabeth Ann.

"A student can't grow if they're being forced to hide parts of themselves," he told The Arizona Republic in 2017.

The policy stated, "There exists no general consensus but rather disagreement between the state of Arizona and the United States and in the United States as a whole — legal, scientific, educational, philosophical — about the relationship between 'gender identity' and biological sex."

The former policy provided a list of student rules that included:

Using bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to the sex listed on the student's birth certificate.

Following the "uniform code and grooming standards of their sex" as listed on their birth certificate.

Participating in single-sex athletic activities that correspond to the gender listed on their birth certificate.

Staff referring to students by the name listed in school records, which is based on birth certificates or by a nickname agreed upon by the student and their family.

Staff using personal pronouns consistent with the student's gender listed on their birth certificate.

According to Madelaine Adelman, a board member for the national advocacy group GLSEN, the former policy was written in a way that explicitly harmed students whose gender identity didn't align with the gender assigned to them at birth.

She said she hasn't seen a similar policy that was so explicit in the state.

New policy

Great Hearts' new policy concerning use of facilities, participation and student instruction is under a category called "privacy practice and accommodations guidance."

"Our policy is designed to protect the privacy of all students," Great Hearts spokesman Bill Odell told The Arizona Republic.

Among the rules, the policy says:

All students will receive the same level of care and respect.

Students may use single-sex facilities that correspond with their current school records. Single-occupant restroom and locker/changing rooms are open to use by all students.

No student will be forced to use a single-sex restroom or locker/changing room facility against their wishes.

Students are eligible to participate in athletic activities based on requirements of the specific league or ruling body.

According to Odell, the school's policy regarding private facilities including restrooms and locker rooms did not change.

To create the new policy, Great Hearts reached out to GLSEN, an organization which works for LGBT inclusion in the educational system. The charter's governing board wanted research, evidence and ways to improve, Adelman said.

A parent's concern

Scottsdale resident Robert Chevaleau's oldest daughter attended a Great Hearts school. He noticed the school had a policy that would impact his youngest daughter, who is transgender, if she ever attended.

Initially, he thought he could clear up the policy with conversation and paperwork. However, he said, did not receive his desired answers.

"All we wanted to do was to present an alternative form of policy to the executive board," he said to The Republic.

He took his oldest daughter out of the school because he said it was not a good environment for either of his daughters, he said.

"There is no child in the world who should be expected to succeed or learn in an environment in which they are told they are bad all the time," Chevaleau said.

In a 2015 report, GLSEN determined three in five transgender students in Arizona were unable to use the restroom that aligned with their gender identity and three in five were prevented from using their preferred name and gender pronouns in school.

"Students need to feel safe when they go to school," Adelman said. "They are learning to think. They are learning how to interact with others in the world."

Creating awareness

In 2017, Great Hearts Academies considered purchasing land next to its Scottsdale Preparatory Academy to build a new K-5 school and sports complex.

Scottsdale owned the land.

Chevaleau and other community members voiced concerns at a City Council meeting about the proposed business deal.

In September 2017, the school announced it would withdraw its proposal.

Chevaleau and other advocates held a series of demonstrations to bring attention to the school policy, including presenting in front of the school's parent-teacher organization and protesting at a fundraising event.

In December 2017, Chevaleau was approached by Great Hearts. He and Adelman were invited to multiple meetings to discuss the policy.

"Allowing students to go to school as themselves is the goal," Chevaleau said.

Chevaleau said he is optimistic about the new policy. But he said it will take a student testing it out to see how it works.

"I think the new policy, if it is implemented, it can help at least those trans students whose parents support their gender identity to seek the accommodations that they need at Great Hearts to thrive," Adelman said.

Alumni involvement

Through Chevaleau's advocacy, alumni like Hannah Duncan became aware of the policy.

Duncan graduated from Veritas Preparatory Academy in 2011. She learned about the policy after reading a story about Jude Stone.

"As a student at Veritas seven years ago, I knew that many of my peers and members of school leadership held anti-LGBT prejudices, but I did not know (until I read about the policy), that these prejudices had culminated in overt and school-sanctioned discrimination," she told The Republic.

Duncan and almost 200 students, alumni, parents and former Great Hearts Academies staff members sent an open letter to the Arizona and national board of directors denouncing the policy.

"Transgender (trans) and non-binary/gender non-conforming (NB/GNC) students have shown remarkable patience and strength advocating for their right to be treated with the same dignity and protection as their peers," the letter stated. "Rather than support students and foster inclusive communities, Great Hearts' policies contribute to transphobic violence and discrimination."

Duncan said she is relieved that the new policy no longer requires the use of birth certificates to determine a student's gender identity. However, she is not convinced it will improve the experience for transgender students.

She said Great Hearts needs to adopt affirmative protections or use suggestions from GLSEN. The organization provides a "transgender model district policy" that provides an example on how schools can make sure students feel safe, included and respected.

"As a publicly funded charter school, Great Hearts is accountable to the community it serves and should make every attempt to engage the school community on its policies — especially policies that are related to students' safety," Duncan said.

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