Toronto school board introduces policy for transgender students, staff
Published on Thursday October 04, 2012
Karissa Donkin, Staff Reporterhttp://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1266629--toronto-school-board-introduces-policy-for-transgender-students-staffhttp://www.tdsb.on.ca/wwwdocuments/programs/gender_based_violence_prevention__gbvp_/docs/tdsb%20transgender%20accommodation%20FINAL_1_.pdf RELATED ITEM
The Toronto District School Board has introduced a new set of guidelines that spell out what kind of accommodation the board must offer to "transgender and gender non-conforming students and staff."
The policy says schools must keep a student's gender non-conformity or transgender status confidential and should never disclose it to a parent or guardian without consent from the student.
"It is strongly suggested that staff privately ask transgender or gender nonconforming students at the beginning of the school year how they want to be addressed in correspondence to the home or at meetings with the student's parent(s)/guardian(s)/caregiver(s)," the policy says.
It also says students and staff have the right to use a washroom that "best conforms to their gender identity" without having to "prove" their gender. Schools must also offer an "accessible all-gender single stall washroom" for any employee or student who needs "increased privacy."
The guidelines were created as a result of a student's recent human rights complaint, Toronto District School Board spokesman Ryan Bird said.
