Portland school board adopts comprehensive transgender policy

 

The Portland Board of Education on Tuesday night unanimously approved what’s considered one of Maine’s most comprehensive transgender policies, requiring staff training, using a student’s preferred name and personal pronoun, and taking the student’s side at school if there is disagreement with a parent’s wishes. ...

During the board discussion, several members were visibly moved as they spoke in support of the policy ... Holly Seeliger, who led the committee that crafted the policy, wiped away tears as others spoke.

Maine has been at the forefront of the national discussion around transgender student rights. In 2014, Maine had the nation’s first state court ruling that affirmed the right of a transgender student to use the bathroom corresponding with her gender identity. ...