Parents upset over gender-neutral bathrooms at NC charter school

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – Dozens of Rutherford County parents expressed outrage over a policy at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy regarding a potential incoming student who doesn’t adhere to gender norms.

An online petition has racked up more than 1,300 signatures calling for TJCA to walk back its stance on allowing “gender neutral bathrooms” and having teachers and students “use preferred pronouns.”

This comes on the heels of a rumour circulating on social media claiming a potential incoming students’ parents contacted the school requesting the student be granted accommodations to use a gender-neutral bathroom and to be referred to using gender-neutral pronouns.

7NEWS was not able to verify the authenticity of this specific online claim, and Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy does not publicly disclose any accommodation requests made by parents.

Following the publication of the petition, more than a dozen people spoke out against the school’s policy at a TCJA board meeting Tuesday evening.

Just one public speaker voiced an opinion that seemed to be in support of the school.

7NEWS reached out to TJCA for a request for comment and was sent this statement:

“TJCA follows all applicable state and federal laws.

• Facilities have available single-stall bathrooms for students who choose this option;
• Facilities also have available multi-stall gender-specific bathrooms;
• As a matter of best practices and in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA),  TJCA does not publicly reveal requests from any parents for accommodation for their child/children; and
• TJCA follows S49 § 115C-76.55 regarding parents’ legal rights for their child’s (kindergarten-fourth grade) education, including the right to consent or withhold consent for participation in reproductive health and safety education programs, consistent with the requirements of G.S. 115C-81.30. (Instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality shall not be included in the curriculum provided in grades kindergarten through fourth grade, regardless of whether the information is provided by school personnel or third parties.)”

A few of the arguments some public speakers chose to voice in opposition to the school’s stance were based on religious grounds and student safety.

“They live in a world of imagination. They don’t understand the concept of sex until they are age eight or nine,” said one speaker.

“If we can’t push religion… they shouldn’t be able to push an agenda,” said another.

A third speaker claimed he would pull his children out of the school, to the chagrin of much of the audience, proclaiming, “If this goes through, my kid is out.”

“The safety issue is if you have one stall bathroom that locks from the inside,” said a woman who claimed to be a nurse.

But not everyone who spoke was against the policy.

“According to the TJCA handbook…every student has the right to an environment that encourages learning and is free of destruction,” said one speaker in support of allowing the student to have special accommodations.

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