ARMSTRONG, British Columbia (LifeSiteNews) — British Columbia parents are sounding the alarm after a local high school closed its single-sex washrooms, forcing their children to use “gender-neutral” facilities.
After Christmas break, students at Pleasant Valley Secondary School in Armstrong, British Columbia, returned to discover that the single-sex washrooms previously available were indefinitely closed and that the only option would be the newly opened “gender-neutral” washrooms.
“We found this out yesterday after a horrible day at school for our daughter,” B.C. parent Jolene Branconnier wrote in a January 11 Facebook post about her 16-year-old daughter’s experience.
“She tried to use the washroom and was confronted with a group of boys in there and felt too uncomfortable to use it,” she continued, questioning, “How many of you would be intimidated by a group of people in one of these washrooms? I know I wouldn’t want to use it.”
However, since the gender-neutral bathroom was the only one available, the teenager decided to try to use it, resolving to “push through her fears and use the washroom that she should feel safe to use.”
“When she entered the washroom, it was empty. She heard a group of boys come in and they started to bang on her door and the door was flexing open and she thought it was going to be forced open,” Branconnier wrote.
“She got extremely upset to the point of tears and had to text her friends to come and get her so she could leave the washroom stall because she was scared,” she continued.
The gender-neutral bathroom is designed to have fully enclosed stalls, with doors that reach down to the floor. However, the washrooms themselves have no doors, allowing those walking by to easily see both the stalls and sinks on the other side.
According to an email from school principal Steven Drapala shared with The Epoch Times, the decision was made to “enable better supervision” by staff after complaints of vandalism and vaping in school washrooms.
“We have been listening to student and parent concerns over the three school days and have addressed multiple concerns that have been brought forward,” the principal’s email said.
LifeSiteNews reached out to Drapala regarding the policy change but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Another parent, Kristy Stewart, has also voiced her concerns on Facebook, explaining that her daughter does not feel comfortable using the gender-neutral bathrooms at all.
“My 15-year-old came home concerned about the new policies the school has enforced without any regard for ALL OF the students’ comfort and safety,” she wrote. “My child has let me know they will not be using the facilities at school due to feeling unsafe and if they need to use the washroom will call me to come pick them up and take them to Tim Hortons, McDonalds, a gas station where they can use the facility safely.”
Stewart further penned a letter to local politicians and school board officials to demand the reopening of gendered bathrooms, encouraging other parents to do the same.
To respectfully voice your concerns, please contact:
Pleasant Valley Secondary School Principal Steven Drapala
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (250) 546-3114
Pleasant Valley Secondary School Vice Principal Clint Maltais
Email: [email protected]
School District 83 Board Chair Amanda Krebs
Email: [email protected]
School District 83 Board Vice-Chair Corryn Grayston
Email: [email protected]