A sophomore student and athlete addressed the New Richmond School District with concerns about policies allowing biological males in girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms, raising questions about privacy, safety and how the district plans to manage access.

Quincy, who identified herself as the oldest of four girls and a student-athlete, spoke during a public meeting about what she described as the impact of the policy on female students.

“Good evening, my name is Quincy and I’m a sophomore. I’m the oldest of four girls in my family, and I’m also an athlete, and I’m here today to share my concern as a student, an athlete and an older sister.”

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She described bathrooms and locker rooms as private spaces and said the current policy has caused concern.

“The thought of a biological male in the women’s bathroom and locker room is frightening to me. The bathroom in the locker room is a very private place for me to be able to feel safe without the fear of a male. It’s a very vulnerable space, and girls of this age, especially, have a hard enough time changing in from their peers or teammates.”

Quincy acknowledged that the school board must comply with existing laws but urged immediate discussion on how to protect students.

“I realized that those school board must operate under the law and that this change would have to be made under a higher level. But now what needs to be discussed and addressed is what we can, what can be done right now to protect the safety and privacy of hundreds of students, as well as the safety of the students that identify as a gender, other gender biological.”

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In her remarks, she cited statistics from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey to support her concerns about safety.

“According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 43% of women experience some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime. Approximately one in five women in the US reporting immediate, completed or attempted race at some point, the majority of these female victims first experienced such victimization early in life, within 81% reporting that it first occurred prior to the age 25 and among these female victims, 43% reported that it first occurred prior to the age it’s easy to talk about shared vulnerable spaces until an incident occurs.”

She questioned how the district would monitor access to ensure safety.

“How will you monitor which men get to use the girls bathroom? And you have a way to say no to the ones that have the wrong motives for wanting to enter my private space.”

Audience members responded with applause following her comments.

Quincy continued by addressing what she described as the broader impact of the policy on female students.

“Biological men who go into the women’s areas designated for privacy, that space is no longer risk free environment. Outside of comparison and potential safety violations. The burden should not be shouldered by the majority.”

She said the issue extends beyond students who identify outside their biological sex and that alternative accommodations are not practical for large numbers of students.

“This is not meant to just be mean those students that identify outside of their biological gender, but it is not feasible for all of those students who are uncomfortable through policy to use the single cell bathroom in the nurse’s office, there is already barely enough time to use the bathroom in between classes, and it would be even more difficult for the large number of students that are uneasy with these allowances to use the restroom without being targeted.”

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