WOODLAND PARK — The Woodland Park School District (WPSD) Board of Education voted 4-1 during a meeting on Wednesday to recognize two sexes- male and female- and formally reject gender ideology within school district policies.
The passed resolution said the school environment will respect two sexes and reject gender ideology, schools will ensure locker rooms separate males and females, and boys will not be allowed to compete as girls in school sports. The resolution defines biological sex as the presence or absence of a Y chromosome.
The resolution also said the school district risks losing federal funding "should policy or practice fail to recognize and honor biological sex" due to President Donald Trump's recent executive order restricting federal funds from being used to promote gender ideology. Lindsey Prahl, WPSD Chief Communications Officer, said the district receives around $900,000 in federal funds each year.
"This is primarily for the safety of our students and the protection of our students," said WPSD Board President Mick Bates during a phone interview with News5 on Friday. "These young, young students are being talked to about pronouns and gender. And you know what, these kids, many of these children, aren't even old enough to understand these things."
Bates said the district does not currently teach gender ideology in classrooms and the resolution was "more in a preventative measure." He said the passed resolution will not have a substantial change on how students are taught inside classrooms.
Karen Francis, a parent of a senior at Woodland Park High School, said she's worried the board's decision will lead to an unaccepting environment for students like her child, who goes by they/them pronouns.
"It saddens me and it angers me that we have come so far to slide back so quickly. These children were just beginning to feel accepted again," said Francis.
She said she does not believe students should be taught about gender ideology in school, but said she's concerned LGBTQ+ students will face bullying after the board's decision to formally reject gender ideology.
"This is who they are. And I'm proud of my child," said Francis. "Is this a choice I would have made for my child? I don't think so, but this isn't my choice. This is my child's choice, and because it's their choice, they have their parent and their family support."
During the meeting on Wednesday night, several parents spoke for and against the resolution during a portion of the meeting set aside for public comment. WPSD Board Director David Rusterholtz, who voted in favor of the resolution, said board members should "stick with science."
"The science has always been that there are two sexes," said Rusterholtz. "We need to teach our kids the truth. It doesn't mean that we are going to accept any bullying like I said before. This is a culture war and the war has been against the truth for many years."
During the board meeting, WPSD Board Director Keegan Barkley, who was the only opposing vote, questioned other board members about the timing of the vote and said the district is facing other issues like insufficient heating in classrooms, water leaks, and declining enrollment.
Barkley also pointed to Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Law which states all public entities shall allow individuals gender-segregated facilities that are consistent with their gender ideology.
"It's state law. We would be opening ourselves up to lawsuit to push that," said Barkley.
Allison Avery-Wollenhaupt is a parent of a WPSD sixth-grader and leads a monthly support group for LGBTQ+ teens at the Woodland Park Public Library. She said the board's vote to reject gender ideology creates a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ youth.
"It's telling them that your instinct is wrong, your identity is wrong, your heart is wrong. And I think it's wrong for adults, especially adults in power, to bully this very small population of our community's children," said Avery-Wollenhaupt.
She said she agrees there are two sexes, male and female, but said sex and gender are two different things.
"We're talking about identity. We're talking about how these kids view themselves and how they present themselves to the world, and how they identify. So it's just, it's very ignorant," she said. "When things are easier, when they are black and white, life is more simple. Gender is not simple. It's varied, and it's different, and it's beautiful, and it should be honored."
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