Idaho senator has his microphone turned off as he argues against transgender students using the girl’s room

An Idaho school board member cut off the microphone of a state senator who spoke out against a proposed policy allowing transgender students to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender identity.

Newly elected state Sen. Chris Trakel, a Republican, spoke during a comment period at the Caldwell School District Board of Education Tuesday.

She argued that the school district, which her children attend, should scrap the proposed policy, warning that the district risks a lawsuit if a girl is made uncomfortable by the presence of a transgender woman in the bathroom.

But as he continued to speak, the president of the School Board, Marisela Pesina, decided to cut off the microphone and adjourned.

She claimed that he was not following board procedures.

Trakel began his remarks Tuesday by noting that he had previously spoken before the board as a parent, but this time he was speaking in his official capacity as a state senator.

“Under Idaho law, you are required to maintain the morals and health of all students,” he told the school board. “If you allow a man to use a female toilet, you will put his entire moral health and safety at risk.”

He then went on to say that the school district was at risk of being sued, noting, “It’s already happened in a number of states and there have already been rulings on that.”

“So before you waste taxpayer money, before you put a child in danger, you better scrap this policy and don’t even consider…”

But as he spoke, he noticed that Pesina had turned her head to another member of the board.

‘I have the floor, Ms. Pesina, could you please listen to me?’

Apparently shocked, Pesina turned her head to the state senator, who told her, “You say you want people to follow the rules, but you break them left and right,” bringing up an incident from the previous board meeting.

At that point, Pesina said the board would go into a 15-minute recess, telling Trakel: ‘I’m sorry, we asked you. [You] I absolutely know the protocol.

Trakel, in turn, replied: “You yourself are not following the protocol.”

Sensing the tension in the room, one of the other board members moved to adjourn, and Pesina took the opportunity to ask for a second.

‘Not!’ someone in the crowd yelled. Your people are talking.

But another school board member seconded the move, at which point Trakel brought up state law regarding open meetings.

‘Section 74-201: The people of the State of Idaho, in creating the instruments of government that serve them, do not relinquish their sovereignty to the agencies so created…’

That’s when Pesina called out to whoever was controlling the sound system to turn off their microphone, which went dead immediately.

She took the opportunity to call for a vote on whether to adjourn the session, as the crowd continued to chant.

The school board met Tuesday to discuss a proposed new policy regarding gender identity.

Under the proposal, KTVB According to reports, students could use different school facilities “depending on the gender identity they express the most in school.”

Parents will be asked to meet with the school principal or school administrator to understand the student’s needs in an effort to develop a plan that is ‘in the best interest of the student’. That plan would then be signed by all parties involved, taking note of the consensus and any dissenting opinions.

But another section, ‘confidentiality,’ says that when staff talk to the parents of a transgender student, they would have to use the student’s legal name and pronouns corresponding to the gender assigned at birth, unless otherwise agreed upon. say the opposite.

Other sections of the proposed policy would allow a student to take overnight trips regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and would allow for gender-segregated school activities “in a manner that is consistent with their consistently expressed gender identity at school.”

Jessica Watts, the district’s director of communications, told KTVB that the policy is proposed but is “still being looked at.”

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, several students and parents spoke, offering differing opinions on the proposal.

Three high school students began the public comment period by speaking in favor of the proposal and saying the district should be at the forefront of transgender rights.

‘I am a firm believer that every student, and not only [in] the Caldwell school district, but around the world they deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression,’ said a high school student named Nicholas.

“Struggles that you might not experience yourself don’t mean they don’t exist,” she continued, noting, “A lot of us here identify with our assigned gender.” [and] feel attracted to the opposite sex.

“This may make you feel like LGBTQ rights are not an issue or something to worry about, but that’s far from the case,” Nicholas said.

‘We should fight for the rights of all people, even people who are different from you. We as a school district should fight for equality for all students in the Caldwell School District.’

But he was immediately followed by a high school student who said she doesn’t think “it’s right for a boy who feels like a girl to change in the same room as the girls because it would make us all very uncomfortable changing with a boy in the room.” .

“And I don’t think they should be allowed to be in the same bathroom as girls because they make everyone very uncomfortable using the bathrooms with a boy.”

One woman also said that there are ‘only two genders, that’s all’ and ‘teaching is for reading, writing and arithmetic.

“It’s not to sexualize our children,” he said. “That’s not where our tax dollars go.”

He then went on to suggest that the board could face consequences for the proposal.

‘Another thing, we pay the salary of your boys, we vote for you. We can vote him out,” the woman said, as people in the crowd responded: “Amen.”

That seemed to be the first time that Pesina recognized that there was a growing threat to the order of the school board meeting, saying, ‘Okay, we can stop this meeting. I’ve already asked you guys.

And for the record, we don’t get paid.

But the woman seemed to continue her threats, saying: ‘I want to tell you something, everyone is going to answer to God one day, there is no way you are going to get away.’

After the chaotic meeting, Trakel told the Daily Beast: ‘I understand where they come from, they need a policy to follow.

“You have a transgender child who doesn’t want to use the birthing bathroom that they’re in, that puts that child in a situation,” the state senator acknowledged.

‘So I understand that the school is looking for something, looking for a policy. They don’t want to be sued.

“They’re trying to keep the best interests of all students in mind.”

Meanwhile, the school district released a statement saying: ‘It was disappointing that some attendees refused to follow the rules, which prevented others from sharing their thoughts with the Board.

“Caldwell School District welcomes and encourages feedback on its work,” he continued.

“What we don’t welcome are those who refuse to take the necessary steps for a civil, courteous and respectful environment for that feedback to occur.”