Regular Board of Education Meeting April 10, 2025

001Cheryl Chamberlain. Just defer. Defer. Jan Block. Thank you. Sally Johnson. Sally Johnson. Okay. I didn't hear her. Sally Johnson, so I'm Same. Okay. Same person though, right? Okay. Anna Newower. I'm sorry. Defer. Thank you. Ann McAuliff. Thank you. Uh Dr. Shelley Shack. Shall I start? Yes, as long as it's pertaining to something on the agenda. Absolutely, it is. I'm a former educator and I actually worked in this district for a few years. One of the main reasons I'm here tonight is to give a voice to your teachers and staff who were too afraid to come. Most of us chose our profession because we love our subject matter and we love your kids. In college, we learned that the purpose of education I'm really sorry. I'm really sorry, but this is this what is it about

002your statement that pertains to something on the agenda? It pertains to the child inappropriately in a locker room. That is not on our agenda. So, if you'd like to speak, you can speak at the end of the community participation at the end the second period of community community participation at the end of the meeting. Thank you. Bethanne uh Kumara defer. Thank you. And I apologize if I am mispronouncing people's names. Okay, that's everybody that had indicated that they were uh wanted wanting to speak on something that was on our meetings agenda. Um we will continue with the meetings agenda and um during the second period of community participation um we'll circle back uh to uh to those people. The next item on the agenda is freedom of information requests. Dr. Philippy. Yeah, there are several

003in your packet. I'm happy to answer questions from the board. Does anybody have any questions about the Freedom of Information Act requests? Can you hear me? Oh, can you hear me? Turn it. I don't turn in your mic. It's on. How about now? Can you hear me? Speak louder. Thank you. Can you repeat yourself? There are several foyer requests in the packet. I'm happy to answer the board's questions if they have any. Does anybody have any questions about the foyer requests in the packet? Thank you. Uh item 8.2, two resolution regarding the purpose purchase of property owned by the Deerfield Park District and approving a related real estate agreement. Uh Dr. Philippy. Yeah. Uh this is related to a land transfer between the Deerfield Park District to Deerfield 109. Uh the purpose the the purpose

004of the land transfer is for uh the new buildings and grounds facility that was constructed. Um it is not a monetary transfer, but it is a transfer with a land bank that has long existed between the two parties. Does anybody have any questions about the resolution regarding the purchase of property uh owned by the Deerville Park District? Thank you. The next item is 8.3 life safety work at multiple sites and the bid results. Dr. Philippy. Yeah. before the board is um uh bid results for plumbing and electrical work that are associated with priority A items that were identified in the uh life safety um tenure life safety report that the board uh recently approved. Um when we complete these items uh that will be the remainder of the priority A items which are items that

005must be completed from one year uh from the passage of the tenure life safety study. Does anybody have any questions about the life safety work? Um I just want one question. Is this on? Speak up. Yeah. Um just to confirm the previous life safety report is concluded in full. Uh correct. The prior life safety report has been completed. Um and we are now on to the the first year those items that are required to be completed in the first year. The priority a Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions on the um bid results for life safety work? Okay. 8.4 for uh 2026 2027 school calendar. Dr. Fischer, uh in front of you is the draft calendar uh coming to you about 7 months ahead of schedule um for 2026 2027. Um this is in

006collaboration for the first time working with uh representatives from 113 and 112 to create it. Um we always take into account first and foremost trying to sync up our calendar to match Deerfield High School um wherever possible. This calendar reflects that, but also meets our requirements for minimum number of days of student attendance as well as the contractual time frames that we expect um our employees to be working over the 2026 2027 school year. In front of you are three documents. One is the um just blanket draft calendar when approved will be uh available to the community. The second is 113's calendar so you could see where we were um trying to match up with 113. And finally, a comparison calendar that lays out where we are exactly the same and where there are some

007differences. I'll entertain any questions. Does anyone have any questions for Dr. Fischer? I I have one. Is that Is this on? Can you hear me? Yeah. Okay. Um, so you're seven months ahead of schedule on this. When do we vote on on this? When will we vote on it? Next month. Next month. Okay. Thank you. Um, I just want to appreciate the work that you all three districts put into doing this together and doing it ahead of time. I know it's really important. The community is always looking for that integration across the district. So, thank you for doing it. You're welcome. Dale, can you share your insights around why we start when we start and why we finish when we finish? There's a number of things over my 17 years in the district that have

008played out on how that calendar is created. Um, why we start the way we start, it's one of those things that's just the way the districts have always synced it up. Um, we try to make sure that we have the summers built in for how families in our community maximize that time. Um, anytime you make changes, there's always the offset of where those days go. So, if we look at a calendar say, well, I would really like it if we had this day off. Well, then if that's the case and we have to push an instructional day somewhere else. So, if we say we want to end by this time in June, that means we have to start by this time in August. And to make that happen is counting out the number of days

009to meet the minimal number of student contact time per the state guidance as well as contractually how much time we need from our employees that we pay them to work. And so that really is what has guided it in my tenure with the district. Thank you. Any other questions for Dr. Fischer? Um, am I on? Um, thank you. Thanks for your um all your work in this and especially I think this is the first year I've really been focusing on the 113 calendar as well. Um, can you talk a little bit about what you just mentioned? You know, helps me understand a little bit, but some of the scattered days off within the calendar. Um, you know, some days we know other districts may be in or our district might be out. So, how does

010that how how does that work in planning? So, any any parent looking at a calendar says, "Well, there seems to always be a date once a month that is like a day off." And it seems rather random. It's not as random as you think. Um, those days are coordinated through what we once referred to as banking holidays and those are also paid holidays for your employees. And so we have to take that into consideration when we design the calendar. So we could look at a day as a community and say well Kashmir Palaski Day is that a day that we need to be off or Veterans Day is that a day we need to be off because there actually are options to rechedu that or rethink how you use those days. Um to do that

011means we also have to look at how as a past practice we have with our bargaining units on how that time is best managed. And to that end, we have clearly denoted paid holidays that we have in our collective bargaining agreements with your administrators, with your staff, and those days have been in place for a very long time. There are options that we've entertained over the years where we can use those days um as a waiver for makeup much like we just did a couple weeks ago where we had originally scheduled for Kashmir Palaski Day to be a day off but because of the power outage the community experienced back in August. We rescheduled that day with board approval to be a makeup day. So, I'm always hesitant to say, "Yeah, we'll we'll put ourselves

012in session." Um because things always pop up um especially with um what's happening with our um weather over the years, the polar vortexes and the snow and things like that. There always seems to be a day that comes into play where we need to make that day up. And so that really is at the um the intersection of why you'll notice the the hodgepodge of days here or there is those are banking holidays which have turned into for public school employees as paid holidays off for them. And so that's at the um beginning of how we design any calendar is to say these days are always secured as um paid time off for public school employees. Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you. Okay. Thank you. The next item on our agenda is 8.5 amendment

013to net 56 master service agreement and extension of USAC firewall agreement. Dr. Philippy. Yeah. The uh as the board knows, we have a long-standing relationship with Net 56 as our outsourced IT provider. Um, our last multi-year agreement was uh from 2023 and before you is a proposed amendment to that agreement uh which would further outsource some in-house uh technology staffing um as well as u uh enhance our cyber security capabilities um and then also a one-year extension of our existing uh firewall agreement. Does anybody have any questions on the amendment to the net56 agreement? Okay, thank you. Uh 8.6 revised intergovernmental agreement for shared director of safety and security between district 109 and district 112. Dr. Philippi. Yeah, as the board will recall, um, uh, about three years ago, uh, we entered into an IGA

014with, uh, district 106, 112, and 109, whereby we share, uh, one administrator whose sole focus is on safety and security. Um, we've, uh, amended that agreement several times. Um, and before the board is, uh, another revision to that agreement um, that would represent just district 109 and district 112 continuing to share that employee. Does anybody have any questions about the revisions to the intergovernmental agreement? Thank you. The next uh item on our agenda is action items. 9.1 is the consent agenda which includes 9.1.1 the approval of meeting minutes uh for uh per policy 2220 close session meeting minutes and close session meeting minutes from March 13, 2025 9.1.2 2 Personnel 9.1.2.1 Resignations and retirements 9.1.2.2 Leave of Absence 9.1.2.3 employment of certified staff 9.1.2.4 employment of educational support staff 9.1.2.5 Employment of Atill staff and

0159.1.3 bills for payment. Can I have a motion please? So move second. Roll call. Miss Bonner I. Dr. Dornfeld. I, Miss Jakamu. I, Miss Joyce. I, Mr. Quo. I, and President Montgomery, I. Motion carries. Thank you. The next item is 9.2, the treasurer's report. Can I have a motion to approve, please? So move. Second. Roll call. Miss Bonner. I. Dr. Dornfeld. Hi. Miss Jakamu. I. Miss. Joyce. I. Mr. Quo. Hi. And President Montgomery. I. Motion carries. 9.3. Approval of special meeting minutes from March 13, 2025. Uh, can I have a motion to approve, please? So, move. Second. Roll call. Dr. Dornfeld. Hi. Miss Jakamu. Hi. Miss Joyce. Hi. Mr. Quo. Hi, Miss Bonner. I President Montgomery. That's okay. I got it. Thank you. Thank you. Sorry. And President Montgomery. I. Motion carries. 9.4. Approval of

016regular meeting minutes from March 13, 2025. And can I have a motion, please? So moved. Second. Roll call. Miss Jakamu. I. Miss Joyce. I Mr. Quo I Miss Bonner I Dr. Dornfeld I and President Montgomery abstain. Motion carries. 9.5 approval of IASB vision 2030 resolution. Can I have a motion to approve please? So moved. Second. Roll call. Miss Joyce. I. Mr. Quo. I. Miss Bonner. I. Dr. Dornfeld. I. Miss Jakamu. I. And President Montgomery. I. Motion carries. 9.6. Approval of amended fiscal year 2025 budget. Can I have a motion, please? So move. Second. Roll call. Miss Bonner. I. Dr. Dornfeld. Hi. Miss Jakamu. Hi. Miss Joyce. I. President Montgomery. Oh, I'm sorry. Mr. Quo, I. And President Montgomery. I. Motion carries. 9.7. Approval of fiscal year fee 2026 fees and facility rental rates. Can I

017have a motion to approve, please? Some moved. Second. Roll call. Miss Bonner. I. Dr. Dornfeld. I. Miss Jakamu. I. Miss Joyce. I. Mr. Quo. Hi. and President Montgomery. I motion carries. 9.8 approval of transportation contract with Olsen Transportation. Can I have a motion to approve, please? So moved. Second. Roll call. Dr. Dornfeld. Hi. Miss Jakamu. Hi. Miss Joyce. I. Mr. Quo. I. Miss Bonner. I. And President Montgomery. I. Motion carries. 9.9 Approval of 2025 2026 administrative contracts. Can I have a motion to approve, please? So moved. Second. Roll call. Miss Jakamu. I. Miss Joyce. I. Mr. Quo I, Miss Bonner, I, Dr. Dornfeld, I, and President Montgomery, I. Motion carries. 9.1 policy final reading for policies 5 col 10 520 530 535 59 51 120 51 150 65 61 135 6 340 7 10 700

0187 180 720 8 10 2 and 6 col 10. Can I have a motion to approve, please? So moved. Second. Roll call. Miss Bonner. I. Dr. Dornfeld. Hi. Miss Jakamu. I. Miss. Joyce. I. Mr. Quo. Hi. And President Montgomery. I. Motion carries. Uh 9.11 approval of the final 2024 2025 calendar. Can I have a motion to approve, please? So moved. Second. Roll call. Dr. Dornfeld. I. Miss Jakamu. I. Miss Joyce. I. Mr. Quo. Hi. Miss Bonner. I and President Montgomery I. Motion carries. The next item on our agenda is committee reports. Do we have any committee reports? I'll start off. We had a True North board meeting last night and I just want to highlight that the district 109 professional learning and coaching summary report came out. So between True North professional learning, True North

019customized professional learning, and True North family education, we had 447 staff and parents engage in professional development offerings this year. as of March of 2025. So, it was really exciting to see and um they were sharing some very positive feedback from participants on how professional learning went. Does anybody have any questions about the True North report? Uh any other committee reports? Okay. Do we have any uh uh committees meeting scheduled upcoming? No, I don't think so. Okay. The next item on our agenda is open community participation. District 109, as I said, has two opportunities for public comment. Many organizations offer only one. Our policy stems from the community's long-standing commitment to public discourse and representation. We take all public comment very seriously. And while public comment is not a back and forth between the speaker

020and the board, but is instead an opportunity for the board to listen, please know that we do listen very carefully. The second this second period of community participation near the end of the meeting is open for all matters. If you wish to comment, please fill out a community participation form. If you haven't already uh near the end of um I'm sorry, uh located on the podium and hand it to Rebecca Rudd who's sitting to my right. We'll call you up one at a time to the podium to speak. Due to the number of people interested in participating in public comment and pursuant to our policies, I will be limiting the time for each public speaker to two minutes per person so that we can hear from as many people as possible. Additionally, we will take

021a maximum of two hours of public comment in the second period of community participation. We'll be asking local residents to speak first to be followed by non-residents. I would also ask uh that everybody uh maintain um a decorum and be respectful of everyone. If we can't do that then we will uh have to recess or adjourn the meeting. I will go back to the uh people that I started with just a moment. Thank you. Michael Omera. It's uh 7:26 and we'll be giving two minutes per person. Mr. Omera, are you a resident of of the community? No, I'm a taxpayer. Are you a resident of Deerfield District 109? I am not. I'm a taxpayer. I would ask that you allow the residents of our district to speak first, please. Is there a reason for that?

022If you're not a district 109 taxpayer, then I would ask that you allow the I am I am ma'am I don't mean to I'm going to ask that you take a seat until everyone from the the residents of our community have had an opportunity to speak. Please I understand. Please have a seat and we'll come back to you. Sally Johnson, Miss Johnson. And you'll note that there is a timer going. If we could give everyone the full two minutes once they start, please. Thank you very much. I'm very happy to be here to represent trans kids and transgender people in general and to help for the awareness of what it means to be transgender and what that feeling is like to be denied. um as an adult now, I did not have the opportunities to

023grow up or even um have the abilities to live out a adolescent life. And so these things are very important and dear to me. I understand the the conflicts that can occur. They're also very equitable ways of working through those. My voice here is for lifting up to those of common sense and decency, looking at humanity and making this not as much of an issue but what is simply just right for a human being. But with that um that is all I have to say. I wanted to represent the family and be here for the support. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Okay, the uh next speaker is Mark Wire Mueller. Sorry if I'm butchering people's names. Mr. Wire Mueller, I don't see your address on this form. Are you a resident of Deerfield? I generally

024don't get my address because I don't want to be bullied and stuff. So, are you a res of district 109? I don't know if you're checking tax bills to see if people are res. Are you a resident of district 109? Okay. I'm going to ask you to have a seat, please. I'm going to ask you to have a seat, please. I appreciate that. Can you please have a seat? Thank you. Haley Hirs. Hi, my name is Haley Hirs. I grew up in Deerfield. My parents still live in Deerfield. I'm on their title, so I'm part of this. My care My parents still live here, and my family is deeply in concerned, and this is very personal to us. You see, my son is transgender and his only goal in life is to live it authentically.

025Yes. I'm on my parents lease. I on their title. On their title and I'm on it. You live here. You live here. I live here. Okay. I'm excit First First of all, please address the board. Do not address people in the audience title of their house. If you are a taxpayer in to district 109, then you are considered a resident for purposes of this meeting. If you are not, if you don't either live here or pay taxes here, you are not considered a resident for purposes of public comment. So, and I would ask everyone to please be respectful. Thank you. As a parent, my only goal for my child is for him to survive. When my child was told me they were transgender, I was scared and sad. Not because they were transgender, but because

026I knew that their life would be much harder than that of a typical cisgender child. They would face things that no parent would ever wish upon their child due to other people's misinformation and ignorance. However, my child coming out as transgender meant they finally got to live their life authentically. and the positive change we saw in him once he was able to do that was worth it. Junior high is a difficult time in a children's life. I acknowledge that kids can be mean. Period. They will look for any reason to bully and taunt those who are different. And I myself was bullied at Deerfield from the age of 10 to 14. Not because something was very different about me, but just because kids can be mean. When I went to my school principal and teachers

027to talk about the bullying, I was told to ignore them, that kids will be kids. It took me years to understand that this was not the correct response of my school district. And as a 40-year-old adult, I am still haunted by the things that were said to me during my junior high years. Bullying is no joke. And what we are seeing here today is a clear sign of bullying. End of discussion. Transgender children are not going into dressing rooms or bathrooms to try to see private parts of their classmates. They are simply trying to survive. They want to get in and out as quickly as possible without drawing any attention to themselves. They want to live their lives just like everyone else. Did you know that the transgender community in the US makes up less

028than 1% of the population yet is targeted the hardest? 42% of transgender people in the US have attempted suicide and 80% have considered it and when asked the biggest reason for why is bullying. Dearfield, you have a choice to make today. You can stand up to the bullying happening right here or you can be a part of it. The choice is yours. Thank you. [Applause] Uh, Dina [Music] Nathan. Hi, my name is Dina Fierstein Nathan. My pronouns are she, her. Um, I'm a proud resident of Deerfield, a parent of two amazing children, and a lifelong member of this community. Um, people often say that adults come back to their childhood homes because they had a great upbringing and they feel safe and they belong. And that was absolutely the case for me. I wanted my

029children to feel the same as I did because I loved growing up in Deerfield. Um, but lately I don't feel that way for my children. The recent bullying and scapegoating of the trans community has made me question what kind of town we're becoming. Trans children and trans adults simply just want to belong and survive. They're not here to invade locker rooms and disrupt sports. They're here to live their most authentic lives. And it's really heartbreaking to see the singling out of a community because as a community ourselves, we should be supporting and uplifting each other, not excluding or hurting people who are different. What saddens me even more is the lack of understanding and inclusivity. Parents and children in this community should be educating themselves, not supporting this tolerating of singling out and bullying vulnerable

030children. It saddens me that we're meeting about this multiple times when there are larger issues at hand that actually are harming our children. That happened two days ago in this very location. As a parent in Deerfield, as a parent to a special needs child, an aunt to a trans child, I strive to be better. Better for my friends, my family, and my town, and stand up for what's right. I would hope that my town would do the same tonight and end this clear witch hunt of bullying a beautiful community. Thank you. Thank you. Lucas Herbert. Lucas Herbert. Good evening. And I first want to just uh thank our school board. I think you do a phenomenal job and uh you've handled this um whole issue with a lot of compassion and care. So, thank you.

031Uh my name is Lucas Herard and I am the minister of the Northshore Unitarian Church in Deerfield. I am also a taxpaying Deerfield resident and I am here because I also have youth in my congregation who attend the schools in Deerfield and I do not support the hate that the student in question has been receiving. They are not bothering anybody by using a changing area that is sectioned off and not visible to the other students. I think that the language and the rhetoric that I have been hearing about this is a bullying tactic as we heard just a moment ago and it's cruel and it doesn't represent who Deerfield is. Now Deerfield itself has a troubled history. 50 years ago, the town stood against racial integration. And now when we look back on that, the

032people who opposed integration, we don't consider them the heroes. History judges by how we treat people who are marginalized and excluded. And I hope that history won't judge us poorly because we make the wrong decision here. I'm also troubled by the group that has organized in opposition to this, Moms for Liberty, descending on Deerfield. They are classed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They are extremist. Their values do not represent Deerfield, at least not the Deerfield that I serve and that I live in. Now, my values as a minister, as a person of faith, call on me to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every resident in Deerfield. And I hope And I hope that we can do that for this student who has been bullied and unfairly maligned. Thank

033you so much for your time. Thank you. Okay, thank you. The next speaker is Rachel Klene. Can you hear me? All right. Hi, my name is Rachel Plane. My pronouns are she, her. I'm a Deerfield resident. Sorry, can you speak up a little bit? Should I start over? Okay. Uh, I'm a Deerfield resident and a Deerfield parent with kiddos in these schools. I support District 109, our board, our teachers, the staff, the Illinois Human Rights Campaign, and trans rights. And I want to thank all of you for enforcing the child's rights and doing what's right. Tonight, I'm here to share the words of another Dearfield parent who would like their voice to be heard on this matter, but wants to protect their family's privacy. Here's the beginning of the letter. Let me be clear about

034one thing. Being transgender is not a choice. No child would choose to be the target of bullying, discrimination, isolation, or violence. No child would choose to live in a world where their identity is questioned, politicized, or denied. My child is transgender and that is not not something he chose. But I do have a choice. I can choose to turn away to let my fear or ignorance guide me or I can choose to stand beside him. For me, supporting my child is not optional. It's not a debate. It's mandatory if I want to keep him alive. Affirming my child is seeing him for who he truly is and loving him unconditionally. It's listening when he tells me what he needs. It's protecting him in a world that too often wants to erase him. When people ask,

035"What if it's just a phase?" I say, "What if it's not?" And your refusal to support them costs them their life. Let me tell you something. I'd rather have a happy, healthy, thriving transgender son than a child who's lost to despair because I failed to listen. This isn't about politics. This is about love, about survival, and about standing up for our children. Thank you. Thank you, Cheryl Chamberlain. Cheryl Chamberlain. Cheryl Chamberlain said that again. Hi, I'm a resident of District 109. My children went to school here. I wasn't sure what I was going to say. Um, but even just walking in and feeling some of the hate, what I ask for you to consider is that trans kids, LGBTQ kids, they're a part of our community. We need to treat them with love and support

036as we would all want for each of our children. And I do not support any policies that would allow hate, ignorance, and misunderstanding to prevail. Thank you. Thank [Applause] you. Uh, Jan Black. Hi, my name is John Black. I am a resident of Deerfield. My two children went to District 109. Um, I've been a resident for 30 years. I also have a business in this community. Um, as a child we grow and we learn. Uh, our actions are sometimes run by fear, by ignorance. The idea is is that as we become adults, we learn, we grow, and we understand better. We get rid of these fears. We get rid of this uh false motivation and we start to understand that people that are different from us are not bad people that we accept them and

037we accept everyone equally. This is what adulthood is. These actions that are driven by fear and by ignorance should not be what drives us and what makes our decisions as adults. As children, I understand we don't know any better. As adults, we've got to know a lot better. We got to act a lot better. And I want this community to act as adults with respect for everybody here. So that's what I would like from this board is to act as adults and take everyone into consideration. There are solutions that will solve this for everybody without the fear, without the ignorance. Thank you. Thank you. Anna Newbower. Um, you know what? I'm I'm sorry, Miss Newar. It shows that you're a Mundeline. Are you a Deerfield resident? Do you pay taxes in Deerfield? Then I'm going

038to ask you to defer, please. Uh, Ann McAuliffe. Good evening, esteemed members of the District 109 school board. Thank you for the opportunity to speak in solidarity with the Deerfield community. My name is Anne McAuliffe. I have lived in Deerfield for the past 28 years. I am the proud mother of two non-binary young adults who are now 19 and 22. I'm also the president of the Pfield P Flag Deerfield chapter. P Flag is the nation's largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ plus people and those who love them. P Flag is there for every parent seeking to affirm their LGBTQ plus child, every LGBTQ plus person needing support, and every ally looking for more ways to educate themselves on issues that affect the LGBTQ plus community. Our philosophy is leading with love.

039Maya children attended district 109 and schools. In 2015, my older child, then an eighth grader, and two sixth graders, approached a favorite teacher and established the Caruso GSA Club, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. It's been 10 years and it's still going strong. Both kids have been involved with the GSA at both the middle school and the high school levels, each serving as the GSA president in their respective senior years. My family has had a wonderful experience in this school district. Thank you for implementing policies which support and affirm all students by treating everyone with dignity and respect. Um, I know we still have a little time. No, I'm sorry. Your your time is actually up. I thought I had two minutes. You did. That was two minutes. Thank you. Thank you. [Music] [Applause] Dr. shacked.

040It shows that you actually don't live in Deerfield. So, I'm going to um pass you. You either have to live in Deerfield or pay taxes in Deerfield. Thank you. Um and same uh Miss Kum Kumar. Uh I'm going to defer you uh since you don't live in uh Deerfield unless you are a taxpayer in Deerfield. Okay. Thank you, Michael Brown. Good evening. My name is Michael Brown and I'm a Deerfield resident and parent here to support our school district, administration, the board, and most importantly, the LGBTQ community of Deerfield. Somehow lost in the chaos of this week's tariff news and the market girrations was a proclamation made by our illustrious leader recognizing National Child Abuse Prevention Month in which he declared quote gender ideology is one of the most prevalent forms of child abuse facing

041our country today and that quote trans kids have been indoctrinated with the devastating lie that they are trapped in the wrong body. As author Surer wrote so eloquently, the cruelty is the point. I am here today to stand firmly with my community, our school, family, and friends to say enough is enough is enough. I am here to apologize to our elected officials on behalf of our community for the continued threats that they and their families have endured by people in this community and beyond who have been emboldened by vitriolic rhetoric that fills our airwaves and our mobile devices 247. I am here to support the members of this school board, the administration, and the teachers who, following policies established by the state of Illinois through the Illinois Human Rights Act, have endured and ensured that

042every child is entitled to privacy, safety, and most importantly, the dignity when they walk through the front doors of these schools. I wake up every morning thanking God. I live in Illinois and in this community where students are free to read books by Maya Angelou or poetry by Amanda Gorman, where my daughter in the middle of a co outbreak was able to stage and manage the production of Making Gay History before Stonewall, the first ever performance of this production by a high school in this country. Okay, there is reason. I'm sorry that I'm sorry that's that's your time. Thank you. [Applause] Okay, I apologize for any confusion about the clock. We are keeping time up here as well and that is the official uh time for the speakers. Uh, Judy [Applause] Benson. That's the clock

043or you guys got it. Okay. We've been having some issues with the clock, but we are keeping time up here as well. Okay. Thank you. I apologize. Um, I'm a mom of a seventh grade girl at Shepard Middle School. Um, I'm here because District 109's implementation of the recent gender gender identity policies have turned my daughter's world upside down. Very few people in this room know what happened in the locker room. My husband and I are one of the few. My daughter is a victim and she doesn't lie. Illinois law school allows uh schools to ensure equal access but but district 109 forced policy over privacy for all the students in the locker room. When girls expressed extreme discomfort, privacy was stolen and the result was chaos. My daughter suffered uh silently from this uh

044hostile environment for quite a few weeks, but we've made progress supporting her needs, but the district has a long way to go supporting all the students impacted by policy decisions. There's plenty of data uh uh supporting that inclusion benefits all of our students, but there's no evidence that co-ed locker rooms benefit middle schoolers. These kids struggle navigating puberty and forcing shared spaces instead of offering a transition plan that allows all the students to adjust to a new change in the locker room environment is just insane. Illinois law promises privacy over our district uh and our district trampled over that. Our kids deserve support, not to be caught in the middle of an emotional battleground. We're not against inclusion, but balance matters. Now, let's talk logistics. Five private changing stalls for 25 to 30 students is

045not equal access. It's lost instruction time. Typically, our students have 3 to 5 minutes to change for PE, but currently the girls get two minutes to change and the transgender student gets four minutes alone with an adult to change for PE. That's not equity. That's kind of a time heist. middle schoolers um they need support not a social experiment. We want to involve the commu the all all the community protect all students best interests not just the loudest voices. Isby guidelines suggest private options uh private options that respect gender identity and privacy. Schools can provide same sex and gender neutral spaces without sacrificing safe or dignity. So discrimination laws apply. How school districts implement them should reflect the needs of your children. Your time is up. Thank you. Can I just finish one sentence? You

046may not. You've already been over time. Thank you. Debbie [Applause] Sarata. Hi, my name is Debbie Seroda. My pronouns are she, her, and I'm a Deerfield resident and District 109 parent. I also happen to be a graduate of this district. I support District 109, our board, our teachers, and the staff, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and Trans rights. Last month, a Deerfield resident filed a complaint with the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights against District 109 because a trans student at Shepard was using the locker room. I have been asked to read a message from the family of that student. We want to say thank you to the board of education and the staff of district 109. Thank you for allowing our child the chance to grow and learn in a community that encourages

047her to become the best human possible human being possible. a place where kindness, empathy, and respect are valued. We are so grateful to live in Deerfield. The outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming, and we can't say thank you enough. So many times we've been asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?" And our answer is always the same. Set the record straight. When somebody wants to spread lies, when someone wants to be hateful, please show them only kindness. Remember that the children of Deerfield are watching and how we handle this situation is how they learn to handle problems in the future. So to our neighbors, your kindness, your empathy, your willingness to stand up for our child and for all trans kids has been inspiring and heartwarming. Thank you 100 times. Thank

048you. And with my remaining time, I'll try to finish Michael's statement. In a few weeks, I'll be making my last track to Kent, Ohio to watch my daughter receive their summer come la. Okay, I'm I'm going to ask I'm sorry we can't transfer time. Worth a try. Thank you. Thank you. Laura [Applause] Bernstein. Thank you. That's all I want to say is thank you. I'm a District 109 resident, a taxpayer, a parent, and a teacher in a different district. I support District 109, our board, our teachers and staff, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and all trans rights. Thank you for what you're doing. We really appreciate it. And thank you to the Deerfield residents who are here to support [Applause] us. Sonia Morgan Hi, my name is Sonia Morgan. My pronouns are she, her, and

049I'm a Deerfield resident in District 109 parent. I support District 109, our board, our teachers and staff, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and Trans rights. Tonight, I'm sharing the words of another Deerfield parent who would like their voice to be heard on this matter, but wants to protect their family's privacy. I'm a parent of a transgender teen in Deerfield. When my son first transitioned, it was a total shock that definitely took some getting used to, but we love our child, so it was a no-brainer for his dad and I to accept him for who he was. The scary part was the anxiety regarding how we he would be treated outside of our protective bubble. I vividly remember that first day he ventured out as his new self. The fear in his eyes as he walked

050to the bus stop and the pit in my stomach as I started getting the texts. Everyone is looking at me. So and so just whispered about me and laughed. Just like it took time for us as parents to adjust, his peers had to do the same. Luckily, the stairs and whispers soon stopped and my son finally had the chance to just be himself. Deerfield schools embraced my son with open arms from the outset, making all the needed accommodations to ensure he felt comfortable and safe. His preferred name became part of the database, and he was provided access to genderneutral bathrooms and changing areas. Whenever I called administrators or school counselors with questions or concerns, I received an immediate response. That is not to say that things were perfect. Hiccups did understandably occur. In all these

051situations, school staff and administrators immediately took action to address the situation. They had my back and more importantly, they had my son's back. He felt validated and heard, and as a result, he thrived. He became involved in activities like art and theater, expanding his network of both friends and supporters, and he never strayed from being a straight A student and has firm goals in place for his future. Thank you for all you're doing. Thank you, [Applause] Abby Marx. Abby Marks. The next person, the next speaker is Amy Wangler. Thank you. Hi, I am a Deerfield resident, District 109 parent, and a previous DHS graduate. I support District 109, our board, our teachers and staff, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and Trans rights. Tonight, I am sharing the words of another Dearville parent who would like

052their voice to be heard on this matter, but wants to protect their family's privacy. Here is their letter. We are proud parents to multiple children in District 109. Our kids are active in Deerfield Community Sports Park District programs and they love spending summers at the pool. One of our kids is transgender. Tonight, we would like to give some perspectives to those parents who might have questions on the wants and needs of trans children. While we cannot speak for the entire community, this is our observation. Trans kids want to play sports. Trans kids want to dance. Trans kids want to play with their friends. Trans kids want iPhones. Trans kids want to draw, paint, laugh, watch movies, ride scooters, have ice cream, and even sometimes, trans kids want to do their homework without anyone asking. These

053wants will likely sound familiar to many in the room. And while painfully obvious to those willing to listen, it is important me. It is an important message often lost in the swirl of hate, propaganda, and lies that surround us in today's media. Trans kids are kids. They need love. They need acceptance. They need parents and family and friends. They need community. When we are asked what it is like to raise a trans kid, our answer is we lead with love. This does not in any way make us unique or brave. It just makes us parents. We would like to give a sincere thank you to District 109 for being an unwavering advocate, not just for our kids, not just for trans kids, but for all kids. Unfortunately, as of late, our district, our schools, and

054our teachers have been thrust into the national spotlight, surrounded by ugly propaganda, threats, and a staggering. Thank you. Thank you, [Applause] Amy Wingler. Amy Wangler. And next after Amy is Christina Heath. And if you could um if you're next in line, if you could move to a spot where you're close to the microphone, that'd be great. Thank you. Hi, I'm a Deerfield resident in Deerfield 109 parent. I support district 109, our board, our teachers and staff, and the Illinois Human Rights Act and trans rights. Tonight, I'm sharing words of another Deerfield parent who would like their voice to be heard on this matter, but wants to protect their family's privacy. With that being said, here is their letter. Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom. These words by Oprah Winfrey

055remind us that school is more than just a place to learn academic subjects. It's a place where young people, often at their most vulnerable, discover who they are and who they can become. For my son, that discovery came during a time of unimaginable hardship. In seventh grade, my child began to open up about his true self. He started using his preferred name and pronouns, a small but powerful declaration of his identity. But that followed with not acceptance. It was cruelty. His friends, once closed, turned their backs on him. Some children went as far as to tell him to end his life. The weight of these words and the sting of abandonment overwhelmed him. Each day became harder than the last. Anxiety crept in and soon school was a place of fear rather than learning. He

056didn't feel sick safe and that's a heartbreaking feeling for any parent to witness. However, in the face of these challenges, everything something remarkable happened. The teachers, counselors, and school workers of DPS 109 stepped forward. They saw him. They didn't look away. They rallied around him, providing the support he so desperately needed. Their efforts were quiet, but their impact was profound. They offered a safe space, guidance, unwavering compassion, showing him that there was still goodness in the world. They modeled respect, kindness, tolerance, qualities that we could all hold on to when the world seemed hostile. Thanks to their care, my son graduated from Shephard Middle School, not only surviving, but thriving. He has transitioned into high school. He found himself in an environment where he can grow without fear. He no longer had to look over

057his shoulder, constantly worrying about being hurt or misunderstood. and said he stepped into the community that embraced him for who he truly is. They're forever thankful for everything that you guys do. Thank you, Christina Heath. And the next speaker is Emily Luzardi. I am a Deerfield resident and a parent of three children attending Shepard Middle School, two seventh graders and one sixth grader. I am also a teacher in a neighboring district. Everyone in this room is fully aware of the accusations and negative attention that has recently been imposed onto our district. I also know that there are plenty of witnesses who can testify to what actually happened and the lies that are being told. As educators, parents, and role models, we talk regularly with our student about what it means to be an upstander. what

058it looks like in instances of bullying or cheating or lying or so many other wrongful acts. How to choose between right from wrong and to speak up when complacency is the far safer option. So what is the right path forward for our district? How do we lead with the same example we've been teaching? What we cannot do is settle for lies or false accusations. We cannot cower to any bullies in our community or at large. Our students are safest because District 109 follows constitutional and state laws and provides facilities to protect our most marginalized students as equally as any other students. I am both heartbroken and furious to know that any child from our community could become the subject of a publicity stunt, a target for bullies of any age. But here we are. And

059so we're presented with some potentially difficult decisions. But we're also presented with an opportunity to demonstrate to our students and community what District 109 stands for. Settling for any less will send the wrong message and sets a dangerous precedent for others to attempt similar stunts in the future. District 109 has the support and backing of this community to pursue justice. Look around this room. Those of us who actually live here, we're showing up for you. We support you. Please show our students and community that you will not back down. that this is a fight worth fighting. Thank [Applause] you, Emily Luzardi. And and next will be Jennifer Pra. Hi, my name is Emily and my pronouns are she, her. I am a Deerfield resident, a District 109 parent, and a local educator. Um, I first

060want to say that I support District 109, our board, our teachers and staff, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and Trans rights. Tonight, I'm sharing the words of another Deerfield parent of a trans child who would like their voice to be heard on this matter. These are their words. I have had the good fortune of raising three children in Deerfield, all of whom are the product of Deer District 109. Each of them was celebrated and supported as unique individuals. This lens of each child being an individual has been a foundational value of Deerfield schools and I hope will continue despite the messaging from individuals outside our community. Children in Deerfield are accepted regardless of the way they express themselves. We delight in our children and teach acceptance of one another in the ways we support each

061child as they create a caring community in all areas of their lives artistically through music, song, theater, and visual arts in the extracurricular activities they enjoy, sports, destination imagination, special buddies, and the gender expression of peers. Teaching acceptance is a key skill to prepare our learners to be successful in adulthood. Parents would be well served to model kindness, inclusion, and understanding to our children for that is what we will will help them achieve in this journey of life. Grown-ups, please teach your children the value of diversity for it is a gift to a community and know that they are listening to your words and watching your actions. Thank you. Thank [Music] you, Jennifer Pra. And next will be Clayton Edwards. Hi, my name is Jennifer Prass. I am a Deerfield resident. I am the proud

062mom of three students that have gone through district 109, one currently in. And uh I am here also as a clergy person in Deerfield. My pronouns are she, her, and I am a Deerfield resident. I support District 109. I support this board, our teachers, the staff, the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Trans Rights Act. There are so many people hurting in my community. There are so many people hurting. And as I watch parents and as I watch kids that are just trying to live their lives with beauty and dignity and grace, with abounding love, that's what we need to be doing right now. embracing and loving and supporting. That's my job as a clergy person. That's my job as a mom. It's my job as a human being. Everyone is created in the image of

063God with a divine spark in them. Everyone, no matter what clothes they wear, no matter what pronouns they use, everyone deserves to live, to stand up, to be supported, and to be loved for exactly who they are. I am a proud ally. I'm a proud supporter. Thank you for what you are doing. Be on the right side of history. Do the right thing. Support our kids. Support our families. Thank you. Thank you, Clayton Edwards. And next will be Jane Zo. I'm sorry, Zoadowski. I apologize if I uh for my misprononunciation. My name is Clayton Edwards. My pronouns are he, him, his. I am the pastor at Kingswood United Methodist Church in Deerfield. Uh, and I'm also a parent of both a sixth grader at Shephard and a third grader. Uh, I'm so thankful for the

064the board and the decisions that they've already made around this and the ways that we uh can come around and support trans kids. I uh went to seminary at Garrett, not too far from here, and met uh lots of other um trans folks who were going uh into religious education. I'm today reminded of the words of Maya Angelo when she says, "Do the best you can until you know better, and then you know to do better, so do better." And so I'm reminded of these words as a space in Dearford where we can do better, where we can support all those folks and be a place of welcome, of care, and of love for all people. I'm also reminded as a United Methodist pastor that we believe in this inherent sacred worth dignity of all

065people. And we will as a church and as a community continue to live that out. And as United Methodists, we say that we resist injustice in whatever form it presents itself, even when it presents itself in bully and fear. So may we lean into more love and care for all people. Thank you. Thank you, Jane Zawadowski. Jane Zawadowski. And next will be Alex Wasserman. Yes. I'm sorry. Are you okay? Thank you. Alex Wasserman. And then next will be uh Patty Berinsky. Hi, my name is Alex. Um my pronouns are she, her. I'm a Deerfield resident, definitely taxpayer, and D109 parent. Tonight, I'm uh going to be sharing the words of another Deerfield parent who would like their voice to be heard, but wants to protect their family's privacy. I am a Deerfield resident whose children

066have attended D109, D1, and D13 schools. All of our kids were heavily involved in athletics and had wonderful experiences competing. One of our children happens to be trans. Our child transitioned in elementary school and used the locker rooms, as all the athletes do, in D109 and D113 schools they attended. There was not one complaint or incident. The school and parent community was nothing but kind, caring, and supportive. In fact, when parents were asked whether they had any feedback at all, their response was, "We simply have forgotten about all about it and so have our kids." All the parties knew that they had the option to use many other facilities and changing rooms available to them because of this was clearly communicated and uh communicated often by the school administration. They simply chose not to because

067there was no reason for concern. Perhaps this was because the facts supported them having no concern. The fact is that there have been no incidents in bathrooms or locker rooms related to trans children in Deerfield or anywhere else that we have ever heard of. As parents, it makes sense to pay attention and expend energy on things that are legitimate issues. This emphatically is not one of them. The fact is that given the number of actual issues we all face daily, this is simply a waste of all of our time and attention. The fact is that Moms for Liberty is a far-right organization that prays on people looking for scapegoats. They came into our community and targeted a child who was part of the smallest, most vulnerable population they could find, trans kids. Heartbreakingly, these atrisisk

068kids are just trying to survive and hopefully thrive in the midst of a manufactured political conflict. Thank you, Patty Berlinsky. And next will be Stephanie uh Georgeos. Good evening. My name is Patty. I'm a Deerfield resident, a proud DPS 109 mom, and a trans ally. and I too am here to share a letter from a uh a family in Deerfield. I want to share with you a little about my family. I have two amazing children, a current 109 student and a high school student. I have two daughters. One happens to be trans and that is only part of her identity. She is a gamer, history buff, amazing daughter, granddaughter, cousin, niece, and big sister. When my oldest was in elementary school, she struggled with depression. So, what do good parents do? We got her help.

069We went to the pediatrician, psychiatrist, therapist, school social worker, and we reached out to her teachers year after year. We kept in close contact with the principal, social worker, and anyone else that could help my child in 109. For years, she struggled. Then one day she came to me and said, "Mom, I am trans." Why did she just come to me? I believe because she was raised in a house full of love, communication, and empathy. I didn't do everything right, but I will never doubt my daughter is alive because she felt safe to come out to me. She felt safe at home and she felt safe at school. Her social workers, teachers, and principles in 109 always knew her. They knew her interests, her quirkiness, her love of science and history. And they knew she

070struggled. They did not judge her. They listened to her. They spent time with her. They did not ask her to fit into some mold. In fact, they encouraged her to be herself. They did not just accept her. They adored her. Thank you, District 109, for helping me raise my amazing children. Thank you for doing what is right and supporting our children, all of them. You will be on the right side of history. Thank you for your time, a proud 109 family. Thank you, Stephanie Georgeos. And next will be Lily Weissberger. My name is Stephanie Georgos. I am a Deerfield res resident. I am a DPS 109 parent as well as a district 113 parent whose son went through 109 as well. Um I am also an educator outside of 109. I want to say that

071I support you and thank you for everything that you are doing to support our students. Um so thank you to our board. Thank you so much to our teachers and to our staff. Um, as a teacher myself, I can only imagine what they must be going through as well in order to protect the students that need so much protection. I support the Illinois Human Rights Act and trans rights. Thank you for listening to your residents and thank you for supporting our students. Thank you, Lily Weissberger. And next will be David Weissberger. Good evening. My name is Leelu Weissberger. My pronouns are he, him, and I'm currently an eighth grader attending the same school where these controversial events are taking place. And yes, I am transgender. I won't force you to use my pronouns, but I

072certainly hope you'll you'll be a decent human being and respect me. I'm sorry if my existence offends you, but I am not sorry for existing. I'm here tonight because I heard an organized group, Moms for Liberty, is gathering here to fear-monger and divide. I'm here tonight to speak for my friend, the transgender girl in question here. I am here tonight to defend dignity for all students. And I am here to unfortunately entertain the idea that my that in my that my community and my identity is not welcome in our school. A school where we are taught to strive to live by pride. An acronym which stands for personal responsibility, respect, inclusivity, determination, and empathy. Empathy. What a word. What has been empathetic in the way that we have shoved this girl and the entire community

073into the spotlight of national scrutiny? What is empathetic about the fact that this incident of transphobia and homophobia is not isolated even even in this community? And what is empathetic about the fact that this instance is being used as an excuse to push a political agenda? If you're struggling to find an answer, don't worry. I am too. We are not fighting to allow perverts in the locker room. We are fighting for our right to exist and to exist alongside our peers. Separate is never equal. These kids you speak of, they're just that, kids. 12 or 13year-olds trying to make it through this mess we call middle school. It is hard enough getting through the day, completing work for classes, dealing with messy friendships without being pawns of a political agenda. We are tired of it.

074I am tired of finding out each day that another action has been taken against the LGBTQ community. I am tired over this endless debate over if trans people should or shouldn't exist. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Your time is up. Thank [Applause] you, David Weissberger. David Weissberger, and next next we have Steve Papale. Apologize for name bungling. Good evening, board of education members and neighbors. My name is David Weissberger. I'm a Deerfield resident and immensely proud Deerfield parent right now. I'm speaking I'm speaking again tonight not because I want to, but because I feel I have to. Last month, what seemed like an overwhelming number of people in this community stood up to say that Deerfield is a place of compassion, inclusion, and respect. We supported the school, the staff, and most importantly, the students, all

075of them. Last month, I called out clearly that this complaint is part of a broader national campaign pushed by outside interests to attack trans students as a wedge issue to stir outrage. They are trying to use Deerfield, Illinois as a launching point for a coordinated political campaign to weaken public schools, roll back civil rights, spread intolerance disguised as morality, and promote authoritarian social control. Since last month, bearing that out, what followed hasn't been a local conversation, but a coordinated national media effort. Week after week, from Fox News to the White House press room to conservative podcasters Charlie Kirk and Matt Walsh, they chased down national coverage and then claimed that there's a national spotlight on Deerfield. Just today, the Lake County chapter of Moms for Liberty, after calling for turnout at this meeting, announced a

076campaign calling for changes to the Illinois Human Rights Act. Last month, we said they should stop bullying kids. They escalated by targeting members of the staff and board first in public remarks, then repeatedly spreading their names and email addresses in public posts. These are our neighbors who stepped up to serve our schools and represent not their personal agendas, but values and policies that are embraced by this community and supported across our state all the way up to the governor's office. Can I get a time check? 20 seconds. How many? 20. So, to the board, thank you for standing firm. Please continue to protect the rights and dignity of all students. To my neighbors, this is a time to show up, not just at meetings, but in our conversations, in how we raise our kids, and

077in what we choose to stand for. Deerfield will not be bullied. We are strong. We solve problems with care, not with fear. Thank you. Thank you, Steve Papale. And next will be Betsy Leot. Hello, my name is Steve Pell. I'm a Deerfield resident and elder at New Hope Community Church. I'm here to address the the recent issue of the boys and the girls locker room at Shep at Shepard. Um, behind this activity, firstly, the the recent poll showed that 67% of Deerfield residents oppose biological boys in women's locker rooms. But behind this myth is is the myth that biological sex and gender identity are somehow interchangeable. Let's be clear. Two separate non-inchangeable sexes have been a moral and scientific truth since the creation of man for thousands of years. There is no objective evidence for

078anything else. Abigail Shrier, author of Ir irreversible damage, notes historically that gender dysphoria affects 1 in 10,000 boys and 1 in 30,000 girls. Recently, one in 20 college student identified in trans. In the UK, there was a 4,000% spike between 2009 in 2019. Science or biology has not changed. The American College of Pediatricians reports 80 to 95% of pre-puberty children with gender dysphoria will experience resolution if not exposed to medical intervention and social affirmation. For the small number of kids who generally deal with gender confusion, we must treat them with compassion and love and get them competent help under the oversight of parents. They want acceptance to feel loved. I think any normal person can understand that. However, you cannot have love without truth. We are doing no favors to anyone especially our kids by

079validating a lie under the guise of empathy. Whether it be a boy can be a girl, a man can have a baby, or a human can be a cat or a wolf. Those are things. Now, in fact, just the opposite. It ultimately hurts those that need real help. Finally, I'll close for with a quote from Genesis 1 27, which is scripture for both the Jew and the Christian. God created man in his own image, in the image of God had created them. Male and female created them. Thank you. Thank you. Betsy Leot. And next will be uh Rachel Weissberger. Hi, I'm Betsy Leget. I'm a Deerfield resident and a parent of two Shepherd kids. Both my kids went to Deerfield High School, both graduated and are adults. The difference between children and adults is that

080adults have to protect children. And children are immature. Children are adolescent. They're called adolescent because they're not yet fully developed. Um I know a number of adults that are yet to be fully developed. And it's a sad thing, but it's true. And I just want to address firstly the gentleman before me said we were here to address specifically having a boy in a girl in the girls bathroom in the girls locker room while they were changing for PE. It's privacy. I heard a lot of great comments tonight. I think there's no doubt that that parents love their children and it's our job as parents to make sure that our children are protected. And when you see that little girl and that little boy on the bathroom sign, that means only little girls. Only little girls

081go in that room and only little boys go in that room. So, I'm a little confused by the insinuation that this wasn't true, and I hope it wasn't true because I believe and having two kids in in Shepherd, I know there's a lot of bullying going on. Uh I have two very active kids. My daughter was actually the golf um captain at Deerfield High School and my now 30 years old. She is actually trans and she's an adult and I don't mind. I love people. People like another person said, human beings are meant to be loved by everyone. God loves everyone. But the truth of the matter is parents and teachers and laws are here to protect children. Thank you, Rachel Weissberger. And next will be I think it's Satie um sorry having trouble reading

082the writing. Um, M Muscavella Rachel Weissberger is next. Rachel. Okay. Thank you. I I see. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Rachel Weissberger. I'm a mom in Deerfield and I have a child at Shephard Middle School. I'm here today because I heard there was an active group activist group uh called Moms for Liberty coming to this forum again to talk about a situation that happened at the middle school. Um I think the dignity and privacy that these activist groups want for their daughters, I also want for my children. And despite many people's interests in keeping us apart, we actually want the same thing. We all want our kids to be respected and safe. And some people say, you know, oh, maybe this sets a bad precedent that maybe this child posed no threat, but

083what about those boys who sneak into the girls locker room to hurt our girls? Transgender girls are not the same as a person who goes into a locker room to hurt someone. That person can be any gender, any color, any religion, and can disguise themselves in any way they want. All of us here have probably changed in front of a transgender person without even knowing it because transgender people, just like the rest of us, want to live peacefully and go about their day. The United States is a country made up of people who came here to build the lives they wanted, not the lives they were born into. people who risked everything to start something new because they could live authentically here on this land in peace. Let us find ways to teach our kids

084that not everyone is going to be like you and you will have to respect those differences. And I would hope that a group called Moms for Liberty would want liberty not just for their daughters but for all. Thank you. Thank you, Satie Muscavella. Next, next will be Bennett Vanderbash. Bennett Gerber Vanderbash. Hello, my name is Sade. I'm a junior at Deerfield High School. I am non-binary and therefore part of the trans community. As a member of the Deerfield and trans communities, I know that it is our moral and civic duty to protect every child in Deerfield. I went to Shephard Middle School and I know how the locker rooms are set up. There are multiple stalls for kids who want privacy while changing. Although I don't really think this is an issue about locker rooms.

085Across the country and increasingly in our own community, trans kids are being weaponized as scapegoats. As a trans kid, this deeply terrifies me. I know that many of you would like to believe that the trans issue stops at bathrooms or sports, but unfortunately, this kind of thing never does. Multiple studies show that around 1.4 4 to 2% of kids eight uh 13 to 17 are trans. This is a ridiculously small minority to be rece on the receiving end of this much scrutiny. Deerfield getting national attention for this controversy is embarrassing not just because of the embellished details of the issue but the total lack of empathy for marginalized people. It is also embarrassing that these parents in district 109 are focusing so much energy on this and almost none on the rampant bullying that happens

086at the elementary and middle schools. Everybody in this community plays an active part in the bullying that's going on and consistently nothing is being done about it. If we truly care about the safety of students in district 109, we will be channeling this energy into something into actually stopping the bullying and harassment at these schools. Thank you. Thank you, Bennett. Bennett Gerber Vanderbash. And next will be Katie Wasserman. Good evening, school board. My name is Bennett Gerber Vanderbash. I'm a proud current and past Deerfield resident. I grew up attending Walden Shepard and Deerfield High School. I'm live here with my husband. I'm a proud brother of my older sister who is transgender. I knew that I was different when I was eight, but I didn't have the words to describe it. But in middle school,

087I knew. And in middle school, I was scared. I had fear. I didn't know if people would accept me. I didn't know if people would like me. I was afraid of losing my friends. I first came out to my school counselor in a fit of tears and shame and she was wholly supportive and I felt supported by my school when I participated in panels with the my GSA at Deerfield High School for other students at the school to help them understand the lives of LGBT people. I felt supported by my school when a full page a ad filled with hate was taken out in the local paper targeting me and my community and my high school. I felt supported by my school. I hope and I pray and I expect that you will continue to

088support all your students including those most vulnerable now and into the future when I hope one day I can be a proud parent here in Deerfield as well. Thank you. Thank you, Katie Wasserman. And next will be uh Colleen Plane. Hi, I'm Katie Wasserman. I am a Deerfield resident and a D109 parent. Um I will be reading a letter on behalf of another family in Deerfield. I want to begin by saying that I have lived in the Northshore nearly my entire life. I love this community, not just for its people, but for the promise it holds. The promise of being a safe, supportive place to raise a family. The promise of offering every child access to a world-class education just as I was fortunate to receive. And most importantly, the promise of being a beacon

089of decency and inclusion in a world that too often leads toward hate and division. That is why my wife and I chose to return. We bought our home in Deerfield just last year with the intention of raising our 2-year-old daughter and soon our son who is due in a few weeks. We came back because we believe in this community, what this community stands for, truth, respect, and compassion. And now I watch in disbelief as that very promise is being threatened. A radicalized parent driven by attention and prejudice is weaponizing misinformation, seeking headlines instead of solutions, and doing so at the emotional expense of her own child's classmate. I've read the reports. I've watched the interviews. I've looked at this from every angle, left, right, and center. And the conclusion is clear. This is not about

090protecting children. This is about promoting fear. My family won't tolerate others spreading lies, dis disguising hate as concern, and dressing up bigotry as values. Because in this community, it's the facts that matter. This is not just about one incident. This is about who we are and who we want to be. Hate does not have a home here. Not in Deerfield, not in the hearts of the parents and neighbors who are committed to truth, unity, and justice. Thank you. Thank you. Colleen Glenn and then uh Tuli Goodman Wicker Lucer. I'm sorry, can't it's hard to read. My name is Colleen. I'm a Deerfield resident and District 109 parent. Uh I'm reading this on behalf of a family in Deerfield with a son. In this case, it's important to know their son is trans. But on a

091normal day, that's not what's important. What's important is that since the day this family moved into Deerfield, they felt welcome. In Deerfield, they go to Fourth of July parades, sit out on the lawn with friends and neighbors, wave to neighbors out on walks. They have built amazing friendships and strong communities, many of those with the families of District 109. The family I'm reading this for today wants to thank those families for knowing what is important on a normal day. That they are just that, a family with a son. The family I'm reading this for would also like to thank the board of District 109 for the environment they work to cultivate every day in our schools. There have been a lot of difficult moments in this district and the volunteers who work to make tough

092decisions, who give up time home with their families, who have their moms come spend the night with their kids so they can stay late for these meetings. They have made good decisions on behalf of the families that live here. And as and that has always and I hope will always include making good decisions on behalf of families and kids in the LGBTQ community. We're all here trying to love and protect our kids. We're all here trying to give them an education and ensure that the world is available to them. Thank you to those of you on the board for doing that for us. And thank you to those of you in the room who support each and every kid who walks into this community. Thank you. Thank you to Goodman Luther. And next will be

093Cara Mowen. Um we're not Deerfield residents. Oh, I'm sorry. Can you wait, please? Thank you, Carrie. Uh, Cara Mowen. Hello. I'm a Deerfield resident and a parent of a Shepherd middle schooler. I first want to say thank you to this board, to the Shepherd teachers and administration, to the supportive community members here and especially to the brave Shepherd students who are standing in support of the dignity of their classmate and all students. My daughter is a seventh grader who has the same PE period and changes in the same locker room that is used by her trans classmate at Shepard. She has never felt unsafe or uncomfortable in any way to share a locker room with a trans classmate. What has made her feel unsafe and uncomfortable is to see adults stir up hatred at her

094school. I'm so thankful to the teachers and administration at Shephard for following policy, to helping to support the dignity, privacy, and safety of all students, and to this school board for supporting the school and our community despite the attention and hatred that has been forced all of our ways. Thank you for upholding our community's values. And thank you to everybody who's here tonight to show what our community's values really are. Thank you. I think I think that we've gotten through all of the Deerfield residents or taxpayers. Uh so we'll move on to uh other uh people who'd like to speak. Uh Michael Omera. Oh, sorry. The next uh speaker after Mr. Omera will be uh Mark Wyan Wyan Mullen or Mueller. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen of the of the board, I'm here tonight in

095support of all the families affected by the troubling decisions made by members of this school district. These decisions have not only caused embarrassment but have also demonstrated an unwillingness to provide a safe and supportive atmosphere for all the students. The families in this community deserve better. They deserve to feel confident that their children are learning and growing in an environment that prior prioritizes their safety and well-being. The lack of concern shown by this administration is deeply troubling and undermines the trust that families place in your education in the education system. It is the responsibility of this board to ensure that every student feels secure and respected. The current situation highlights a significant failure on the duty to protect and support the students. We must address these issues headon and take immediate action to rectify the

096situation. In conclusion, I urge this board to consider that gender dysphoria is no excuse to force humiliation on others. Let's try to commit to creating a safer and more respectful environment for all students. Thank you, Mark Lion Mullen. And next will be Anna Newar. Hi, Mark War Miller. I always bring my own clock because a lot of times I want to see how much time I have. I wish your clock was working here. I apologize. Uh so uh I'm just a ranter. I'm a parent. I'm a uh a stock a stakeholder in everybody's education. I'm uh also a taxpayer. Uh so I have I have skin in the game here, especially being a parent. I appreciate the first amendment here. This is great having all these people here speaking and I'm taking it in and

097my views change as they go on, but u you might not like some of the things I have to say. A lot of people feel that there's two genders, males and females, and that two genders, males and females. And you hear a lot about this, and this is taught in basic biology. And I understand that that this is going on. There's so many people in the room, and I appreciate the the passion for this. I don't want uh biological males changing in a uh a girl's locker room. Uh my kids were in school. We had accommodations. You make accommodation. It's not just for that. It's for like a kid who has an inhaler. You make an accommodation. And you I wish the board would do something to accommodate both sides on this. I don't like

098the hate. I don't feel hate. I wish people say love love thy neighbor. I don't like the sign that says hate has no home here because I don't hate. I want everybody to do well. I don't want men playing in women's sports. I've seen Riley Gaines talking about this. She should not be playing against a man in a swimming competition. I don't want bullying. I I feel bullying kind of going on against the monster of liberty, which I'm not affiliated with. I I'm not sure why it uh they should have First Amendment rights just like everybody else. Again, it's great. I got 16 seconds here. I uh I think it's great we have a big crowd here. I primarily speak about property taxes. I should have spoke during the budget meeting. I want less property

099taxes and I hope we can solve this issue. And uh coming up two seconds, my time is up. Thank you, Mark Wire. Miller, thank you. Anna Newower and next will be Dr. Shelley Shack. Good evening. My name is Anna Newbower and I use she her pronouns. I'm a community member as a resident here in Lake County. I support district 109, the school board, teachers and staff, and I just want to say thank you all for what you do. I also support the Illinois Human Rights Act and trans rights. As trans activists and swimmer Skyler B explains, trans kids are not a threat. If someone is afraid of of men or boys pretending to be women in order to gain access to and abuse girls or women, you are not afraid of toxic men or you

100are afraid of toxic men. You're not afraid of trans girls or women. Trans girls and women should not be scapegoed for the harm that the patriarchy perpetuates. And instead, it's important to unite and stop misogyny, transphobia, and the harm that the patriarchy causes. Trans girls and women are women and girls, period. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me, and thank you so much for all that you do um as the school board and teachers and staff. and I hope you continue I hope you continue to follow um the Illinois Human Rights Act and to continue to protect um trans students in the future. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Shelley Shack. And next, uh Bethanne Kumar. Okay, so one of the main reasons I'm here tonight is to give a voice to the

101teachers and staff in your district who were afraid to come and want to maintain their privacy. In college, we learned that the purpose of educ Please, the audience needs to be respectful. Please don't interrupt. I apologize, but I'm not. Please do not interrupt. The purpose of education is the pursuit of truth, a free marketplace of ideas, and engaging in healthy debate can actually help you learn. Sadly, education by this definition has been hijacked in favor of political and personal agendas. My heart breaks for the teachers whose jobs are already challenging enough and now they're caught in the middle of this drama. The administration has created a hostile work environment where those who don't support the group think and virtue signaling have to remain silent for fear of being bullied or being fired. Next, consider the

102approximately 50 girls who share the locker room space. They're being sacrificed and are being required to change their values and beliefs to support the entitlement of one outlier child and a political agenda. If kids have to show each other respect and courtesy, then that one child could have the decency to respect peers by changing in a private space. Finally, I speak to you as a researcher. Has anyone stopped to consider whether the school is actually harming the child in question? If you look at the standards of care from WPath's predecessor, the Harry Benjamin Society, transitioning children wasn't even under consideration. It was discouraged. I've also talked to urologic surgeons about outcomes and real world consequences. Just because you can transition a child doesn't mean that you should. Please understand what you think you're supporting and

103why you're supporting it. In closing, this administration has failed students, employees, and the community by allowing one child in a political agenda to take priority over the physical safety, mental health, and due respect for 50 girls in school employees. Please do the common sense thing and put the outlier child in the in a private space. Beth Anne Kumara. Beth Anne Kumar. And next will be Jane Zoadowski. Hi everyone. Thank you so much for giving us the time especially to allow non-residents to speak today. My name is Beth Anne Shamara and my pronouns are she her. As a scientist, I would like to recognize the deep complexity of human biology. While many of us are taught that sex is strictly binary, XY and XX, nature doesn't always follow simple rules. There are individuals born with chromosomal

104differences like Kleinfelter syndrome which is XXXY, Turner syndrome, XO, and androgen insensitivity syndrome X Y and others. Often the symptoms of these chromosomal patterns are identified during puberty and may impact whether the child's biology matches the gender assigned to them at birth. These conditions show that the biological sex exists on a spectrum. They remind us that assigning someone's identity based only on the chromosomes or only on the anatomy doesn't capture the full truth of who they are. Just as we support students with other differences, visible or invisible. We must also support trans students whose gender identity may not align with the sex assigned at birth. Science recognizes that gender is on a spectrum and so should we. Thank you. Thank you, Jane Zoadowski. And then Tuli uh Goodman Lucer. And I I will note that

105we've gotten a few more um people who'd like to speak, some of whom are in the Deerfield community and some of whom aren't. So, we will um continue with comments from outside the community until nine o'clock and then we'll go to uh the additional comments from within the community and if we have time after that we'll go back to outside the community. Thank you so much for recognizing me since I do not live here in the community and I appreciate you very much. Um so my name is Jane Zodowski. My pronouns are she, her, and I support the Illinois Humans Human Rights Act and the Deerfield School Board District 109. Last time I was here, I gave out 100 of these. You are beautiful stickers. So, I remember you all, and today I don't even

106have enough stickers to give to all the supporters who are here, which I'm really happy about. What I do want to share and give out is information that my 17-year-old transgender son wanted me to share with you on his behalf. He wanted me to say loud and clear that being trans is real. It's the basis for everything else. Being trans is not about hate. Trans people have always existed. It's a fact. It's real. My son schooled me because he wanted you to know and everybody here to know that the student who's been receiving this ignorance and hate is first and foremost a girl. Not a trans girl, not anything else. She's a girl. She's a girl. She's a girl. It's the basis for all the rest of what's of what's occurring. And he spoke that

107to me with such passion in his voice. So this girl is probably scared. She's probably scared of the violence that trans people statistically encounter so much. She's scared that liberty has been co-opted and that trans people are being and that people are being censored from using words like transgender. That's not liberty. She's likely scared of the false information that's spreading and she and of people who don't acknowledge the ex existence of queer folk, but we're real. As another queer mo as another mom told me tonight, in fact, a lot of the queer people are just neurodeiver virginite folks. It's hard to even get out of the house. And that's kind of a stereotype and a joke, but I liked it. So, it's not a co-ed locker room. It's not a social experiment. Thank you. Thank

108you. Totally Goodman Locker. And next will be Hannah Lupe. Hi, my name is Ty. I am 7 years old and I would like to say that this trans girl should be able to use the girl's bathroom. She can decide what bathroom to use because what's wrong about being trans? So, this trans girl should be able to use the ba the girl's bathroom. I came to speak here because I want to speak up for this trans girl because she's a perfectly nice girl and I hope she still gets to use the bathroom. I hope that all of you who think guys who think that this girl should use the girls bathroom will have a great night. Thank you. Hannah Lupe or or Lee, I'm sorry. And uh next will be Kaen Marshall. Good evening. My name

109is Hannah Leape. I'm a senior at Wheaten College and a Young Women for America ambassador. I am here today to speak on behalf of Nicole Georges and her daughter and for female students in the Deerfield School District. Female students need teachers who will protect their physical bodies, preserve their innocence, respect their boundaries, hear their needs, and offer them female bathrooms and locker rooms. This is not a dismissible incident that has taken place at Deerfield School. Deerfield has allowed male students access to female bathrooms and locker rooms and faculty and administrators allegedly repeatedly barricaded several underage girls in a locker room and forced them to undress in front of a male. Dearfield administration faculty staff are complicit in the sexual abuse of several young girls. I sincerely hope that attorney general Bondi and the department department

110of justice heed referrals for criminal investigations. No one in this room is a hero for defending this abuse in the name of compassion, social justice, empathy, or transgender rights. Transgenderism is an adult fantasy that should not touch school-aged girls and boys. Adult sexual perversion has no place in the classroom, and adult gender delusion should not be pushed onto vulnerable vulnerable boys and girls. No amount of emotional manipulation or noise will change the fact that transgenderism destroys, confuses, sexualizes, grooms, and mutilates children. There is no such thing as a transgender child. Only abusive parents, pedophiles, online predators, and their underage victims. Girls are girls, boys are boys, and schools starting right here in Deerfield must resist transgenderism, pedophilia, and child abuse. Step one, Deerfield bathrooms and locker rooms must be designated by biological sex. Until this

111school district stands up for biological girls and makes real change, female students will be abused again and again and again in the name of progress. Thank you to the board. Thank you, Kaen Marshall. And next will be Nicholas Flowers. Hi there. My name is Kaen Marshall. I am a wife, a mom, a friend, a business owner, and I'm the state director for Concerned Women for America of Illinois. Concerned Women for America is the largest women's public policy organization in the nation. We have thousands of members in this state, and I come today heavy-hearted in representing all of them. As moms, our job is to protect our daughters. When we leave our children in school, we expect responsibility for their safety and dignity. We expect the same from our states school leaders and representatives. If a

112young woman feels unsafe in a restroom or a locker room for any reason, I expect the school to thoughtfully respond to those concerns without judgment. Why is the school so eager to make accommodations for the male involved here while being unreasonable, rigid with the female students involved and with complete disregard for their rights? What these young women have been put through is nothing short of sexual harassment. It is an abusive and a traumatic experience that will stay with them forever. The women of CWA stand with this brave mother and commend her for her courage in telling her story and fighting to change this misguided and illegal pro policy. CWA also stands with the 13 girls who are victims of abuse at the hands of the school officials who should know better. Public school officials cannot

113hide behind perceived state and local laws that contradict Title 9 on the basis of sex. Federal law must be comp complied with no matter what you think in being pushed your activistic agendas. Lastly, I began this letter. I did not say my favorite role. I had the privilege of being a grandma to the most beautiful 2 and a halfyear-old girl. Your time is up. Thank you. That is why I'm here today. Your time is up. Thank you. Nicholas Flowers. And after that, I have a form that just says Lane. I don't know who I don't have a last name. Hi, I'm Nicholas. I transitioned at the age of 18 medically through testosterone blockers and estrogen because I was identifying with my wounds and escaping from feelings of internalized homophobia. As a child, I was bullied

114intensely and traumatized for being a feminine gay boy. the internet. At the time I was 13, I had access to pornography as well as transidentified men telling me that the only way to access my authenticity is through chopping off body parts. The trans identity label is simply put not allowing uncomfortable feelings in my body. This is escapism. board members, you are enabling a unstable environment and fueling a delusional world of suffering. So the ramifications you can see is traumatized girls in the name of protecting a boy from uncomfortable feelings. So I healed gender distress at the age of 22 when I dransitioned. I did it in three simple steps. I acknowledge my feelings. I allow the feelings of discomfort in my body and I share truth with the wounds within. Feelings are fast. They don't

115last. So board members, this is how you address gender distress. You believe in the child's healings and their inner resilient. You don't you actually enforce a way and solution to address the root cause instead of affirming a harmful way like social transition. And so end the suffering of all including these in innocent girls through believing in the child and their inner resilience. So I leave you with this quote from George Washington. Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light. Thank you Lane. And then the last uh comment we'll take from outside the community uh before going back to the community members is from Crystal Larson. My name is Lane and I'm a member of Gays Against Groomers, a nonprofit of LGBT individuals united to protect children from indoctrination, sexualization,

116and harmful med medical practices under the guise of LGBTQ rights. I'm here tonight about the disturbing incident at Shepard Middle School, and I see two groups of victims. The young girls impacted and the young boy being affirmed by adults who should be guiding him to embrace his biological reality. The girls bravely spoke up, but despite their discomfort, they were given no choice. And that's not inclusion, that's coercion. Why were their concerns ignored? The truth is is that there is no such thing as trans youth. No boy belongs in girl spaces and vice versa. You're either a boy or a girl, and the truth must be defended. If the voices of the girls and their parents aren't being heard, then hear me, a member of the LGB community, saying that this is wrong and it's sickening.

117This isn't about denying anyone respect. It's about protecting all children equally. The fact is the school failed the girls whose right to privacy was violated and the boy involved who deserves truth and protection, not confusion and delusions encouraged by adults to affirm a wicked lie that he is a girl trapped in a boy's body. And to be clear, the LGBT people who defended this atrocity at the last meeting and today do not speak for all of us because we reject radical ideologies that sacrifice girl safety and the boys god-given identity in the name of progress. And to the parents of the young girls, you are not alone. Not all gay people and trans people think the same. And believe me when I say it is, God is on our side. This is a spiritual battle

118and evil must be eradicated from its root and we will win because truth is on our side and you may think we are outnumbered but the fact is that we want the time is up. Please be seated. Thank you Crystal Larson. And then we will after Crystal Larson we will hear from uh Sabra Gerber. Honorable board members, when I was sworn into office four years ago, the honorable Judge Quinn remarked, "It took 6,000 years to elect the first transgender official in Illinois, but only six months to elect you as the second." Now, we all know our state isn't quite that old, but it did get me thinking. Is that true? Have there really been 6,000 years of transgender history? Turns out she wasn't off by much. You see, there's never been a world without trans

119people. We've been depicted in 9,000-year-old cave drawings in Italy and Cyprus, ancient Egyptian statues carved of us, and hundreds upon hundreds of middle-aged paintings. We've been documented by ancient Greek and Roman physicians, and alongside Hebrew authors of the Talmud. We've served as Roman emperors, Byzantine nobles, US congresswomen, and deputy prime ministers. We've led faiths from ancient Syrian priests and indigenous spiritualists to today's Christian pastors and Jewish rabbis. We are Grammyinning musicians, award-winning authors, decorated military and law enforcement personnel, athletes, actors, engineers, doctors, lawyers, veterans, business owners, we are parents and we are children. In other words, we're just like you. Despite being a part of the world for some 9,000 years, it's only in the past 90 that we've truly started to see our rights enumerated, enshrined, and respected by government. And as these right

120rights have become protected, we faced push back. True, change almost always meets some resistance. Yet sometimes, sometimes it goes beyond the pale. Whether it was abolishing slavery, segregation, or suffrage. Our nation has always been faced with uncertainty and change. But rarely do we see the kind of resistance resistance that marked these three pivotal moments in our history. Today, it seems we may be faced with another such moment. So when I say thank you for everything you're doing to defend our rights, no, I do not say this lightly. This generation, we carry the weight and pain of nearly 9,000 years of persecution and your leadership. I thank you, Sabra Gerber. And next will be Jen Parker. Hi, my name is Sabra Gerber. My pronouns are she, her, and I am a Deerfield resident in District 109

121parent. I support District 109, our teachers, our board, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and Trans rights. Like so many of you in here, I have been upset and disheartened with the hatred and ignorance that has been too loud in recent weeks. This is Please, this is not Be respectful. This is not the Deerfield I know and love and believe in. Tonight, though recent minutes have been filled with some of this negativity from those outside our community, overwhelmingly I see good. While I waited outside among a bright, supportive, rainbow-filled crowd and inside as I've listened to thoughtful, brave voices of parents, childrens, and neighbors, I am grateful to be a witness. And for those watching at home and talking about this with their children tomorrow and each other to be reminded that this community, this is

122what community truly is and should be. As a community, it's our job to help everyone be their best self. Thank you, board. And thank you to those of you that have shown up to and that will continue to show up to help do so. Thank you. Thank you, Jen Parker. And next we'll hear from Nicole Cooper. Hi, my name is Jennifer Parker. I'm a Deerfield resident and a parent. I've had two children go through 109. And I am just here to thank the board and the staff at D9, our teachers, our staff supporting the Illinois Human Rights Act and Trans Rights. Very appreciative. Thank you. Thank you, Nicole Cooper. And after Nicole will be uh Deb Singleton. Hello. I am a Deerfield parent and a taxpayer. I'm a parent of two sis children in the

123high school and we've been through fantastic District 109 and I thank you for all the work that you do. I am here as an ally to the transgender and LGBTQ community. These kids are not here to cause problems. They just want to live their best lives like everybody else. The world is hard enough on teens these days with everything that they deal with. And I guarantee your daughters are not in danger from a child who just wants to be like them. This community needs to be educating ourselves and opening our hearts, not isolating and being bullies. Thank you. Thank you, Deb Singleton. And and next will be John Freeze. Good evening. I'm Deb Singleton. I she use she her pronouns. I am a resident of Deerfield and are my um children and my grandchildren and

124I wholeheartedly support the position that this board has taken. Um, I take the comments of the young woman earlier about um there being true nonbinary people. Um, it is not just a matter of the XY chromosomes. It's also about the hormone flushes that happen during in in uterro. And there can be a testosterone flush over the body and a different flush of testosterone in the brain. And if those don't match, if the body gets a flush and the brain doesn't or the brain gets a flush and the body doesn't, that can cause this uh be one of the causes of gender dysphoria. Um, so there are true non-binary people. It's not true that there are just boys and girls. You are Please address your comments to the board. Please address your comments to the board,

125not the audience. So that's my first point. The second point is I did some research this afternoon looking at states where um transinclusive legislation has been passed and I was specifically looking for what are the um the data on whether or not anything in terms of sexual assault or harassment or any issues have resulted from that legislation. Answer is Thank you. Your time is up. Your time is up. Thank you, John Freeze. And then we'll go back to comments from outside the community. Margaret Hankle will be next. Hi. Um, Deerfield resident for 24 years. um two kids that have gone through district 109 and Shephard and just quickly wanted to say thank you to everyone that helped them along the way and the board and teachers, staff, SRO's um just made them what they are

126today. Um, and also I wanted to say I support the Illinois Humans Right Act rights act and trans rights and thank you all for hearing everyone speak tonight. Thank [Applause] you Margaret Hankle and after Margaret uh Verge uh Sila. Thank you. Thank you members of of the school board. I am a writer and illustrator living in Illinois and I have gone to school in Illinois my entire life. Uh I was made aware of a defamation campaign affecting the school on social media. I stand here in cooperation with TransUfront Illinois. Uh as you know, Caruso Middle School has made accommodations to protect student privacy with private changing stalls in the locker rooms. The complaint that an child was forced to change in front of another student is demonstrably false. This issue could have stopped there, but

127it has become bigger than itself, and there are far-reaching implications to what is decided here. The story has caught the attention of Illinois Representative Mary Miller, who has proposed cutting all federal funding to the school as collective punishment for an imaginary offense. And if that wasn't bad enough, Miller is a proponent of bills that would place more restrictions on children and take away their privacy, creating unnecessary hurdles to participate in sports or so much as use the restroom. She and her colleagues want to overturn Title 9 protections and rebuild barriers to reporting sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination. And to do this, she is treating children as scapegoats instead of human beings with rights. Miller's ultimate goals are blatant, and she has proudly quoted Adolf Hitler on the subject, saying, "Whoever has the youth has the

128future." There are those in power who dream of a youth that is powerless, uneducated, and afraid, unequipped to challenge any abuse of power. a youth that does not resist. It is the duty of education to empower children for moments such as these when we must resist. Every child deserves privacy, bodily autonomy, and a safe community to grow up in. And that means transgender children deserve privacy, bodily autonomy, and safety just as much as their cisgender classmates. If you take away those essential liberties from one child, you rob every child. We must not tolerate bullies. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Bird Sila. And and next will be uh Stacia. Don't have a last name. Good evening. My name is Verge Sil and I'm the chair of the Moms for Liberty Chapter of Tazwell County,

129a 501c4 organization dedicated to the survival of America by uniting, educating, and empowering parents to defend their rights at all levels of government. A lot of the conversation tonight has been, in my opinion, completely focused on exactly the wrong thing. In one of the slides that was on your agenda, you showed the Illinois Associated School Boards uh and listed a whole series of policies that this board is going to be f voting on. You collectively, your school board, and I visited seven school boards within the last couple of weeks in my county, Tazwell, are faced with a problem that is really pretty difficult and I don't envy you. You're in a situation where the federal government is citing a whole set of of actions and the state of Illinois is demanding that you do the

130opposite. And both of them are threatening you with loss of funds. In uh last year, August 20, August 1st, 2024, the Biden administration implemented the Title 9 rule changes that have been known in the courts as the final rule. Those rules include provisions to allow a male student in a girl's u private space. Uh we got a our organization got an injunction to to prevent schools from being forced to comply with the federal government's uh title n changes. But that all became moved on January 9th of this year when Chief Judge Danny Reeves ruled in a in a lawsuit with T with Tennessee that the Obiden administration's final rule is now vacated. It doesn't exist. We're back to the Title 9 rules and regulations that existed uh before August 1st of last year. With all

131that said, you're wondering why I'm here. Unfortunately, we live in Illinois. And in Illinois, there are laws and Illinois association policies, state board of education policies. Your time is up. Thank you. Uh the next speaker is Stacia and after that will be uh Nina Brewer Davis. Hi, thank you so much for allowing people from nearby communities to speak as well as your community. I'm here to support you in doing the right thing and I want to thank you for being there for your transgender students. It's obvious this district has been standing by them and I want to thank you for that. I support district 109, the board, the teachers and staff, the Illinois right humans rights act and trans rights. I am here to celebrate and support trans and non-binary kids in this district. I

132see I see you. I see you here. I see you on YouTube. I see you. I'm here because kids need to see adults in their community sticking up for them, not raid moms for liberty troublemakers or Alliance Defending Freedom bigoted attorneys harassing someone's child for being who they are. Being trans is like being left-handed or being redheaded. You might be bullied for it, but you're just who you are. It's what you got. Moms of liberty. Using young girls to spew their hate on someone who they know nothing about is simply irresponsible parenting. Irresponsible just like declaring that there is only male and female. When there are many people born with bodies in the middle or women in this room who've never had a period or found out their bodies were not capable of having children

133because they were unknowingly born interex. Attacking and separating trans kids from their peers is not the answer. Like most middle school students, I was mortified of anyone seeing my own body or looking at anybody else's. To frame girls being in a locker room together as some dangerous thing makes me so angry. This is a girl. It is a girl being a girl. Over 35 professional medical associations affirm trans people that they are real and deserving of full inclusion as their real selves. No executive order or proclamation can change that. Dissolving the Department of Education and its Office of Civil Rights makes your role here even more important. I applaud the school for upholding the Illinois Human Rights Act and inclusive school policies as modeled by Lorie Children's Hospital as a best practice in our country.

134Thank you. Trans kids belong. Nina Brewer Davis. And after after the next speaker will be Kristen Stum. Hi, I'm Nina Brewer Davis. I use she her pronouns. I'm here as an educator and a parent. I support the school, the district, and families uh of transgender individuals in Deerfield. Community and school and family support corresponds to significantly lower rates of attempted suicide in queer and specifically trans kids. Trans kids deserve to be safe at school. Thank you. Thank you, Kristen Strong. And next will be Lillian Gerber. Good evening, board. I'm going to ask each and every one of you to please take off your clothes for my comfort. How does that feel? Can you imagine being 12 or 13 years? Please speak into the microphone. Can you imagine being 12 or 13 years old in your

135school that you're in charge of and and be forced to undress? I don't think any of you would be very comfortable at all. I am here to support all of the girls in that class who were subjected to this outrageous violation of privacy and innocence. Where is the liberty and justice for these girls? Thank you, Lillian Gerber. And next will be Marsha McCclary. Good evening. My name is Lillian Gerber. I'm 34 and a graduate of Walden Shepard and DHS. I also worked at Northshore Academy as a teaching assistant. I was known by a different name in those days, a boy's name. But in 2023, I came to realize something that deep down I'd known since kindergarten, but didn't have the vocabulary or the education to understand. I am a woman. I'd prefer not to be

136up here burying my heart in front of countless strangers to plead the case for our humanity and prove to a room full of cisgender people in under two minutes why I and people like me deserve to be treated with the same basic dignities as anyone else. But when I heard that a young girl at my own middle school had become the subject of national news for the simple dignity of using the locker room. As a Shepherd graduate, I could not let her stand alone. And so here I stand before you, nervous, afraid, worried, hoping that my hometown, the place where I was taught to love all, no matter their background or creed, will accept trans people for who they are. That the people of my community will be able to look past the lies and

137misinformation fed to them from cisgender people who think they know better to see me, literally just a girl. We are no ideology. We are flesh and blood. We are members of this community. Whether we're 13 or 34, trans people are not new. We are not going anywhere. I'd like to thank the board for their support and I urge you to continue to protect and fight for our trans youth in Deerfield. Thank you. Thank you, Marsha McClary. And and next will be Karen Suturis. Hello, my name is Marcia McCclary and I'm the Lake County Chair for Moms for Liberty. There is much mis misinformation being spread about Moms for Liberty members here today. Our organization kindly supports par parental rights and outcomes for students. This is a group of extremely caring and wonderful people. This issue

138is actually between a girl and the school and not between the girl and the transgender student. And the misinformation on that is rampant. Unfortunately, I've listened to the conversations about the school's locker room policies. And I want to start by saying that I agree with much of what was said here today. Many of us share a common goal, creating a school where every student feels valued and respected. I ask that the focus specifically return the girls locker room to them while approaching this issue with compassion for all. All students deserve privacy, safety, and dignity. Few here today and last board meeting have stood up for the girls right to privacy. Moms for Liberty members stand behind you girls and we have your back. Thank you. Thank you Karen Suturus. And next will be Rick Colon.

139And just to note that we will be stopping community participation at 9:26. Karen Suturis. Okay. uh Rick Coen and next will be uh I just have Glenn. First of all, thank you for letting me speak. I'm not a Deerfield residence, but my grandchildren just moved into the school district. And uh my granddaughter is the same age of the girls that were told to dress down in front of uh the other male child. And I was a gasast when I heard that. I've heard of things in schools um the uh the curriculum the sex education curriculum that starts at an early age where these young children shouldn't even be worrying about sexual things the pornography everything that's in the school it's very easy children are very pliable Hitler even said give me the minds of the

140children and I'll rule the world so you can you can mold a child's mind in any direction for good and for evil. So, um, God says, "My word is truth." It's interesting that I've been here almost two and a half hours. Never heard God mentioned, never heard God's truth mentioned, never heard what God thinks about it. It says in Romans, it says they turned the truth of God into a lie. And uh so my heart's desire I feel for these children. I feel for the parents. But God's truth is final. There's only two genders, male and female. Amen. Thank you. Uh the next speaker I the form just says Glenn. I don't uh from Glen View. No. Okay. Uh Joseph Copsick. And after that I have Andrea Reynolds. Pardon me for speaking quickly. My name

141is Joe Copsik. I'm a security guard who attended Lake Forest area schools and I pay taxes to fund schools in WKEN where I live. While IO while I support Nicole Georgees's proposal to label existing locker rooms for biological males and females, I would also like to urge the school to add additional private stalls in both boys and girls rooms and new locker rooms and bathrooms providing equal access and accommodations to transgender, interex, and non-binary individuals. Providing private changing facilities to girls who don't want to undress in the same room as a trans student was already the compromised position just a few years ago, but now even that has been taken away. There's no reason to limit normal access to the private stalls within the girls locker room by biological six girls because prior to February,

142100% of the people who use that room were satisfied with those arrangements. In many schools, boys and girls play sports together on the same fields at the same time. Yet, nobody makes those girls and boys change or shower in the same room. There would be no need for that. So then why must the fact that boys and girls and trans kids are playing together on the field mean that they must also change and undress and shower together off the field in the same room? No reason at all. So why do it? Neither girls comfort nor trans people's comfort is more important than the other. That's why each group should have each the same equal right to exclude in order to achieve a relative degree of privacy. If someone is signed male at birth and wants

143to use the girls locker room and there's no mutual agreement that they're welcome in either locker room, then they need a third locker room. They would have plenty of room, plenty of privacy and would know that they can never get kicked out. If we're going to have gender integrated sports, then one, boys, girls, and non-binary students should not be made to undress in the same room as each other. Two, students and parents should be fully informed of any risk of injury from sports. And three, students should be free to choose whether to play on a gender integrated or non-integrated team. That's the only way this can be consensual for everyone involved. The school seems adamant that nobody was forced to undress. If that's true, then it's only because the girl resisted. They tried to make

144her undress. That's the force. Thank you, Andrea Reynolds. And that will be our last speaker. Andrew Reynolds. Okay. Uh Kevin Connley. This will be our last speaker. Good evening to the board. Uh I am a Derfield resident. I am a proud parent of both a son and a daughter. And I came tonight just really to support not only the district, uh the board, the teachers, the staff, the human rights and the trans rights and to encourage uh not only the board but the community to continue to follow what is a reasonable, humane, and decent thing to do. So, thank you all for all of your efforts. Thank you. Thank you. Since Since we still have one more minute of public comment, I will uh uh call Asher Mc McMair. [Applause] Hi, my name is Asher

145Mcmaher. My pronouns are they, them, and I'm the executive director of TransUPFront Illinois. Our organization serves children, trans and gender non-conforming children and their parents across the entire state of Illinois, including the families here in this district. We know that by supporting our children, and that's what they are. They're children and who they are. They get to grow to be the incredible human beings that they're meant to be. Here we've heard lots of misinformation. So, first let's start with the word transgenderism. Not a real word. I don't know what education these people have or what colleges they went to. It's not a real word. It's not a real thing. It's not a disease. Being trans means that you don't identify with the sex assigned at birth. And the rhetoric that there are only two sexes,

146not gender. Sex versus gender is incorrect. We have interex people, varants, biology, all of that fun stuff. But at the end of the day, this is being led by parents, not by the kids. And what we want every day is to show up for our kids, no matter who they are, no matter what they decide to be when they grow up, no matter who their friend group is. And hopefully it's one that is uh giving them good advice, but that we hear, we show up. There's something that we say when we're in uh protest or we stand up. We say when trans kids are under attack, what do we do? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you everyone. That will conclude our community participation period this evening. The next item on our agenda is board superintendent

147other. Does anyone have anything they'd like to bring up? And the last item on our agenda is adjournment. Can I please have a motion? Second. All in favor? I. We're adjourned at 9:27. Thank you. Thank you.