Greenville Area School Board rejects changes protecting against LGBT+, gender discrimination

The Greenville Area School District unanimously rejected changes to Title IX during their meeting on Monday, October 21.

These changes would have expanded the prohibition of discrimination criteria to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy. All eight board members voted against adopting this change.

This decision generated mixed reactions from those in the Greenville community with the majority praising the decision and others speaking out against it.

"It was a true Greenville reaction during Monday's school board meeting," said district parent Linda Piccirillo.

Pastor Rob Roberston of First Church of God in Greenville agreed with the decision saying that had these changes gone into effect, it would have made it "impossible" for the district to protect students from biological males going into the women's restroom and harassing female students.

Robertson also said there are already rules against harassing anyone regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and those rules won't go away even without these changes in effect.

Congressman Mike Kelly echoed these sentiments in a press release, where he claimed this change would also "open the door for biologically male students to compete in girls sports."

However, others felt much differently such as Linda Piccirillo, whose son went to Greenville Schools in the past.

Piccirillo says that the points made in opposition to these changes are based on a fear of students being "indoctrinated" into the LGBTQ+ community. However Piccirillo asserts that sexual orientation and gender identity are not something you're indoctrinated into or a "club that you join," but something you're born into.

Piccirillo added that some opponents of the changes suggested having a separate bathroom dedicated to transgender students. However, Piccirillo says this would only make transgender students even more of a target for bullying and harassment.

"I worry about children who are LGBTQ+," she told 21 News. "Do we want them to start hiding again? Do their parents have to worry every day that someone is going to attack them just for being who they are?"

District Superintendent Brian Tokar released a statement to 21 News saying the U.S. Department of Education "exceeded its regulatory authority" regarding certain provisions of the Title IX regulations.

Tokar went on to say the district already has policies in place prohibiting discrimination based on sex and will continue to implement those policies.

Tokar says it is not determined what impact this decision will have on the district's federal funding at this time. "My math tells me that's about $500k a year that they're going to lose," Piccirillo said. "So, what will the district cut if all federal monies are taken away from them?"

Greenville School Board Vice President Laura Leskovac told 21 News no matter how she feels about this issue personally, several people showed up to Monday's meeting speaking out against these changes, so she felt she needed to be the voice of the people who voted her in and let their voices be heard.

The Greenville Area School District reps. declined on-camera interviews with 21 News.