Penn-Delco School District allows biological male students to use female restrooms despite concerns from parents and students

A concerned community member reached out to Parents Defending Education regarding an 18-year-old male identifying as a woman using female bathrooms at Penn-Delco School District. PDE received an email from this community member with an interaction with Pennsylvania state Rep. Leanne Krueger’s office. State Rep. Krueger spoke with the district’s superintendent and confirmed that the district “allows transgendered students to choose a bathroom based on their gender identity and this has been true for years.” The email was dated October 4, 2023. The concerned community member told PDE that the district currently has no official bathroom policy.

PDE also received another email that the district’s superintendent sent to another member of the community. This email is dated September 19, 2023. The superintendent stated: “With respect to your question or understanding about bathroom use and gender identity being in place in all school districts, several years ago the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Court upheld the practice of transgender students using bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. Likely as a result of that and other regulations, I am not aware of any other local public schools or districts that do not honor the ruling.”

PDE was informed that students are planning a walkout in protest of male students using the female bathrooms on October 25, 2023. PDE also received emails showing that if female students are uncomfortable using the same bathrooms as biological males, there are three “gender neutral single use bathrooms” to use. PDE additionally received a message that discussed a photo of a male student in a female bathroom.

PDE received another email from the superintendent sent to a parent where he stated: “Earlier today I received an email in which you inquired about bathroom use at Sun Valley High School. The topic can be a confusing one for parents whose personal beliefs don’t always align with non-discriminatory practices required of schools.” He then added:

Several years back, the school board consulted our legal counsel and clarified that its practices around school-level bathroom use were in compliance with Title IX, relevant court rulings, and anti-discrimination policy.

In another email dated October 2, 2023, a parent confronted the principal of Pennell Elementary School within the district regarding a newsletter that was sent out to parents. The parent stated in the email that this newsletter had celebrations for “LGBT History Month” and “Coming Out Day.” The principal apologized and stated that “we do not celebrate LGBTQ History Month or Coming Out Day with the students at school.” She continued to add that “I put months/days of observance from the ADL calendar in my communication to parents to spread awareness and respect for all members of our school community.” This principal also has her pronouns listed in her email signature.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is a political organization known for encouraging schools throughout the country to adopt curricula with topics of gender ideology and racial equity implemented. The ADL specifically pushes for schools to adopt its “No Place for Hate” project that is notorious for including the “Pyramid of Hate.” The ADL uses the document to explain that “while every biased attitude or act does not lead to genocide, each genocide has been built on the acceptance of attitudes and actions described at the lower levels of the Pyramid.” The pyramid intends to show that actions such as using “non-inclusive language” and committing “microaggressions” will possibly lead to “the act or intent to deliberately and systematically annihilate an entire people.”