Clarkstown To Hold Special Meeting On Gender Inclusion Policy

CLARKSTOWN, NY — The Clarkstown Board of Education will hold a public meeting Thursday to address questions about the policy on equal opportunity and non-discrimination which it adopted in December.

District officials said the policy was revised in an effort to create a more welcoming environment for all students, following recommendations by the New York State School Boards Association.

Many questions and concerns arose, district officials acknowledged.

The topic has come up in the school board election. Trustee Tammy Bierker and challengers Jason Bass and Yelena Glukhova are running on a "parental rights" platform.

In an effort to fully respond, school officials said they contacted agencies throughout New York State for additional guidance on the laws and regulations underlying the policy.

Also, to address community concerns, the trustees also asked Superintendent Marc Baiocco to seek additional input from NYSSBA and the New York State Education Department Office of Counsel. He specifically requested an opinion on how the policy applies to the amendments made to the New York Human Rights Law by the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA).

A Formal Opinion of Counsel on the matter was issued by NYSED on Monday. You can read it here.

The Board will conduct a special meeting to share this information starting at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Clarkstown High School South auditorium.

Local residents may email questions in advance to districtclerk@ccsd.edu; the deadline is 2 p.m. Thursday. The special meeting will not include a public comment period.

Jay Worona, Esq., Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel for NYSSBA, will attend remotely to lead the discussion and respond to questions.

District officials said questions could be grouped or edited for length and clarity. Repetitive questions will not be entertained. The Q and A session will continue at the school board’s discretion as long as it is deemed reasonable and productive.

The meeting will be live-streamed, and the recording will be available online.

Guidance outlining Community Conduct and Participation during Board meetings can be found here.

School board meeting agendas are available through the link on BoardDocs.

The school board has come under fire in recent years from residents who dislike diversity, equality and inclusion policies and programs.

SEE:

• Reaction As Clarkstown Schools Revise Textbook, Library Policies
• Clarkstown Filled With Argument Over Student Slideshow
• Cox Out As Superintendent Of Clarkstown Schools