Plainfield School Board Votes to Remove Gender Identity

PLAINFIELD, Ind.–The Plainfield Community School Board voted to eliminate gender identity Thursday as a protected class of students under the non-discrimination policy, sparking disagreement among parents and students.

Parents of transgender children shared stories of discrimination and mistreatment in schools, while current and former students expressed fear and disappointment over the decision.

“These students want to walk your halls and not have slurs yelled at them. And have group of students bark at them. They want to attend high school games and not have food thrown at them. They want to not have strangers walk up to them at school and tell them they’re going to hell. These are all things that happened to my children while going to Plainfield schools,” one parent said. 

“If you’re scared, imagine how scared people like us feel right now existing in this community,” said a former student in front of the board.

The board cited state and federal executive orders as the reason for the policy change, with concerns about potential funding disruptions. For one man who was at the meeting, that was good enough.

“Let’s lift the federal funding. It’s going to hurt 3,200 students. I think we need to think about that. It’s about all of us,” said the man.

Plainfield Schools said they remain committed to ensuring both a safe and educational environment for all students.