District debunks ‘trauma’ claim, says girl did not use boys’ bathroom

Clovis Unified says allegations that a 9-year-old boy was “traumatized” after seeing a girl use a urinal at school are false.

At a heated school board meeting on Wednesday, where several parents called for the district to fight a state law that allows transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice, a woman publicly told the board that a boy came home from school “distraught and confused” that day because he witnessed a girl using a boys’ bathroom.

Ivette Lee, a Clovis Unified School District parent, said that she had permission from the boy’s parents to share the story but did not provide further details.

But the district says the allegation has no credibility. In a news release on Friday, the district said that it investigated the report, spoke to “eyewitnesses” in the bathroom during the alleged time frame and reviewed video footage of the entrances to the bathrooms at the school in question.

“No biological female was seen to enter or exit a boys’ bathroom,” the statement said. “Given the facts confirmed during the investigation, this allegation has been found to be without credibility. These facts have also been shared with the parents of the student who reported the allegation.”

A parent group called Stop the Madness is leading efforts against state and federal orders to protect transgender students’ choice to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with. While Clovis Unified has installed private changing stalls in locker rooms and is piloting the use of standalone bathroom trailers in light of parents’ privacy concerns, Stop the Madness says it’s not enough.

Parents like Matt Castiglione, who is running for the Clovis Unified school board, say it’s a safety concern.

“Since (President Barack) Obama came in, it’s been all about equality. This whole equality thing has trickled down now into the education system, and it’s creating a mess,” Castiglione said on Wednesday.

Clovis Unified Deputy Superintendent Carlo Prandini urged parents on Friday to reach out to the district with questions.

“It is our sincere hope that any parent or student hearing this allegation would be reassured to know that it is not credible,” Prandini said.

Clovis parents have urged the school board to fight against state laws before. Earlier this year, the district made national headlines when boys wore dresses to school to protest a long-standing strict dress code, which some said was harmful to transgender students.

Then, the board voted to uphold the dress code despite warnings from the American Civil Liberties Union that it broke laws protecting gender expression. In a revote, the board ultimately adopted a gender-neutral dress code.

This story was originally published September 2, 2016 at 3:28 PM with the headline "District debunks ‘trauma’ claim, says girl did not use boys’ bathroom."