Speaker criticizes Title IX; Tiverton school board disagrees

At issue is Title IX, and implications for LGBTQ+ policies

By Ruth Rasmussen
Posted 10/29/24

Tiverton School Committee members last week affirmed their commitment to a safe and inclusive school environment and showed no inclination to follow the recommendations of Robert Chiaradio, a …

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Speaker criticizes Title IX; Tiverton school board disagrees

At issue is Title IX, and implications for LGBTQ+ policies

Posted

Tiverton School Committee members last week affirmed their commitment to a safe and inclusive school environment and showed no inclination to follow the recommendations of Robert Chiaradio, a Westerly man whose proposed policy changes, some say, reflect a point of view that is intolerant and harmful to LGBTQ+ students.

Tiverton was one of the last stops for Chiaradio, who has been delivering similar messages this year to school committees throughout the state. He appeared before the Little Compton School Committee this past Spring.

During his three-minute presentation to Tiverton school officials on Wednesday, Oct. 23, Chiaradio slammed the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), saying the agency has provided “untruthful and unlawful transgender guidance.”

He made an indirect reference to updated Title IX regulations recently issued by the U.S. Dept. of Education, which became effective in August and expand protections to students of transgender orientation — those whose gender identity does not correspond with the sex registered to them at birth.

To date, the district has made no changes to its policies as a result of the new federal updates. Additionally, earlier in the year, RIDE informed Tiverton officials in writing that its transgender and gender non-conforming policies align with state and federal guidelines.

Nonetheless, Chiaradio said the district’s Title IX policy was an “unlawful rubber stamping of this current administration’s attempt to erase women, and I will not allow that to happen.”

He said he and others are working to “exempt all Tiverton schools from the illegal 2024 Title IX rewrite, and we will be letting you know very soon which schools are involved, if not all.”

Saying schools need to “get biological boys out of girls’ sports,” he added, “no matter how much a boy wants to be a girl, thinks he is a girl, acts like a girl, he will never be a girl and vice versa — the same as girls who identify as boys.”

Chiaradio also criticized Tiverton’s school policy No. 1183, which spells out guidelines relating to confidentiality, privacy and student records of transgender and gender nonconforming students.

A section of that policy, which relates only to secondary students, advises that, “notification to a student’s parent(s) or guardian(s) about their gender identity, expression, or transition is unnecessary…[and] each school should work closely with the student to assess the degree to which, if any, the family will be involved in the process and consider the health, well-being, and safety of the transitioning student.”

The wording, Chiaradio said, “cuts out parents completely” and is of “particular interest to the attorneys that I’m working with.”

“Get this on your next agenda please, and change these policies. Other districts are heeding my advice and readying to do the same thing.”

Chiaradio left the meeting almost immediately after his presentation, so he missed the responses of the four school committee members in attendance as well as those of several audience members who spoke. None supported his position.

“Tiverton schools have always been safe and inclusive,” said Diane Farnworth, committee chairperson. “As long as I’m here, as long as I’m still in this town, I will always fight to preserve that tradition.”

Former chairperson Jerry Larkin, who is retiring from the committee, noted it was his last meeting after having been a member for 12 years.

“We should remember, especially at a time of a hugely consequential national election, that the people who sit in these [school committee] seats are also advocates, guardians, and protectors of our children,” he said.

Committee members Deb Pallasch and Mike DeCotis echoed those sentiments.

“Everyone should feel included, involved, and cared for,” said DeCotis.

Added Pallasch, “We are accepting, we are inclusive in this district, and I see no reason to stop doing that now.”

 

Audience reactions

Audience members who spoke included Tiverton resident Gloria Crist, an arts and health advocate, who described freedom of speech and expression as core American values, noting that “all children deserve to be seen and heard. It is their civil right.”

Crist addressed issues relating to mental health and well-being and described how discriminatory policies and practices against transgender and LGBTQ+ students contribute to higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide within those communities. 

JoJo Clark of Woonsocket, who is transgender, said they are not evil and do not belong to a cult.

“My transition has resulted in a much richer life, mentally, creatively, and socially,” Clark said. “Some here would call for you to start a witch hunt, where there are no witches to be found.”

Shannon McNamara, a Tiverton parent, cautioned against a tendency to go down the “social media rabbit hole” when looking at complex issues. Those who are labeled “weird” should be celebrated, she suggested.

“The weird kids become the artists, the designers, the musicians, and the engineers. The bullies become the leaders of their own narrow-minded agenda, because they refuse to see the beauty of those who are different.”

What about Little Compton?

As part of his plan to visit all school districts in the state, Robert Chiaradio asked the  Little Compton School Committee to review its relevant policies relating to Title IX and transgender issues on May 8.

Travis Auty, committee chair, said shortly after that visit, the district received a letter from Dr. Kelvin Roldan, Deputy Commissioner of the RI Department of Education (RIDE), referencing the agency’s review of transgender and gender non-conforming policies of all districts within the state. 

Roldan wrote that the Little Compton School Department’s policy is both “accessible and comprehensive, reflecting a clear commitment to equitable support for students who identify as transgender.” Additionally, Roldan said the district’s policy aligns with federal and state guidelines.

The letter mirrored letters RIDE sent to other school districts, including Tiverton Public Schools, in May.

Said Auty: “It’s important we protect all children and foster a nurturing, inclusive and equitable educational experience for all who attend the Wilbur McMahon School.”

He added that the Little Compton School Committee has not taken further action on Chiaradio’s proposals since, as confirmed by RIDE, the district’s policy is in compliance with legal requirements.

  

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