Ella Frei, 17, who competes in volleyball and long jump, said the school’s response has forced girls into what she called “humiliation rituals.”
A Wisconsin senior at New Richmond High School told her school board Tuesday that the district is violating Title IX by allowing a biological male into girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms and requiring female students to use alternate facilities.
Ella Frei, 17, who competes in volleyball and long jump, said the school’s response has forced girls into what she called “humiliation rituals.” She described maps taped in the hallways that directed girls uncomfortable with sharing facilities with males to staff bathrooms or single-stall restrooms.
Frei said the arrangement followed a June 30 commitment from the district that she characterized as a broken promise. “This district chooses not to protect girls,” she told the board. “A boy is in our locker room.”
https://twitter.com/ellafrei17/status/2079683122233282924?s=12&t=Zo0EXNCUug3mzjxcIQ0-cw
She stated that most girls at the school share her discomfort and some have stopped changing clothes or using the restroom during the school day. Frei called the situation “pretty gross” and urged the board to provide a separate space for the male student so other girls could continue using existing facilities.
Frei has addressed the issue at previous school board meetings. She has said she previously avoided using school bathrooms entirely and has reported online harassment and even bullying from some teachers after speaking publicly. According to Frei, the district retained lawyers in connection with the complaints.
Parents and community members attended the Tuesday meeting. Board members did not respond during her remarks, and no policy changes were announced. The school district has not issued a public statement on the meeting.
Frei's remarks come weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states may limit girls' and women's school sports teams to biological females. The 6-3 decision, while focused on athletic participation rather than specifically locker rooms or bathrooms, has renewed debate over how Title IX applies to sex-separated spaces in schools.
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