A trans male student had a range of difficulties with school staff about his relationships, his use of washroom facilities his participation in school trips, etc. The experiences created a great deal of stress and difficulty for him throughout high school.
The Centre negotiated a settlement between the student and the Toronto District School Board. The school board created a comprehensive range of policies for the accommodation of transgendered youth, including detailed policies about: need-to-know, student records, field trips and washroom facilities. The Board also agreed to provide extensive staff training to identify and confront transphobia (fear of transgender people) in each school.
Guidelines for accommodating trans and gender non-conforming students include:
- Right to privacy: disclosure is on a strict “need-to-know” basis; students are to be asked how s/he should be referred to when the school is communicating with their parents or guardian;
- Right to use chosen name/gender in classrooms, attendance lists and activities;
- Right to change a student’s Ontario Student Record (OSR) upon receipt of legal documentation of gender change;
- Right to participate in school activities and trips in chosen gender (may require accommodation in terms of private change area, for example).