Board addresses transgender policy proposals

EWC Board of Trustees

Andrew D. Brosig
Posted 3/16/18

The Eastern Wyoming College Board of Trustees split Tuesday in approving separate school policy proposals to address issues surrounding transgender students and faculty on campus.

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Board addresses transgender policy proposals

EWC Board of Trustees

Posted

TORRINGTON – The Eastern Wyoming College Board of Trustees split Tuesday in approving separate school policy proposals to address issues surrounding transgender students and faculty on campus.

Draft policies were introduced for first reading to set rules for student housing, participation in sports and the full range of employment for individuals who identify as transgender. The introduction to the policies states, “Eastern Wyoming College is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion among employees and students that is free from discrimination.”

For employees, the policies would ensure equality in employment practices, regardless of gender identity, as well as protecting the privacy of individuals who identify as transgender. For students, they would establish a gender-neutral housing option as well as establishing guidelines for transgender student’s participation in athletic teams in “intercollegiate, club and intramural sports.” Those guidelines would also be extended to individuals attending and participating in activities at EWC.

The introduction of the three policies caused vigorous debate among the trustees, with the majority coming down in favor of the inclusion policies. Trustee Marilyn Fisher kicked off the debate when she made clear her intentions to vote in the negative.

“I will be voting no (and) I want it in the record why,” Fisher said. “It’s not because I disagree with (the policies). EWC is absolutely open to everybody.

“I believe the policies are poorly written and were poorly presented to the board without proper education,” she said. “I would go so far to say we should put ‘transgender’ in our non-discrimination policy.”

Board attorney David Evans explained theathletic policy was drafted using a model approved and followed by the National Junior College Athletic Association and federal non-discrimination guidelines were followed when drafting the
housing policy. 

“It’s good to have policies in place,” he said. “When institutions are challenged, one of the things looked at is are there policies in place.”

The proposed policies are not all-inclusive, he told the Board. There are still a host of issues surrounding the topic which are not addressed in the proposals. Trustee Mike Varney then asked if it was possible to set policies which stipulated EWC would follow NJCAA rules on the subject, whatever they were, as those national rules evolved.

“I didn’t put anything in here that other colleges don’t have,” EWC President Dr. Lesley Travers said. “I think we could certainly change this to do that.”

Trustees also expressed concerned over the language in the housing policy, worrying it could open the door to different issues, including opposite-sex couples living together in the same dorm room as well as accommodations for students who don’t want to live with transgender students.

“How do we deal with students who don’t want to live in a residence hall that’s gender mixed or gender neutral?” asked Jim Willox, a non-voting member of the Board representing the Douglas campus.

“If somebody says the absolutely don’t want to be in that residence hall (with gender-neutral housing designations), we’d have to make some changes,” Travers said. 

Trustee Fisher questioned whether, as worded, the policy would allow male and female students to live together. Travers said the proposed policy is specifically geared toward individuals who identify as transgender.

“Is that how you read that policy?” Fisher said. “I didn’t read it that way.”

Travers said, if the current wording of the policy proposal covering housing was confusing, the best option would be to postpone action on the proposal until it could be rewritten, which the Board approved unanimously.

In separate votes, trustees split four to three on approving the proposals covering employees and student athletes, with members Dr. Judith Bartman, Bob Baumgardner, George Nash and President John Patrick voting in favor of accepting the proposed policies on first reading and Fisher, Varney and Trustee Angie Chavez voting against.