PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Public school directors are considering a new policy that would strengthen protections for transgender and nonbinary employees.
During Monday’s policy committee meeting, directors got a first look at the Nondiscrimination — Transgender and Gender Diverse Employees policy, which, if passed, would work to create a safe and inclusive working environment for all employees that is free from discrimination regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The proposed policy focuses on things such as discrimination and harassment, names and pronouns, and restroom use.
“It’s just very important at this time,” School Director Jamie Piotrowski said.
The policy as currently written focuses heavily on harassment and discrimination. According to the policy, laid out in a presentation by Solicitor Lynne Sherry, complaints alleging discrimination or harassment based on a person’s actual or perceived gender identity or expression should be taken seriously and handled based on board policies, laws and regulations.
It would also strengthen the rights of transgender and non-binary employees to ensure they “have the same access, rights, responsibilities, and protections to which all employees are entitled,” the draft policy reads.
If an employee legally changes their name or gender, Pittsburgh Public would update the employee’s official personnel record to reflect the change.
But even if the employee does not receive a court-ordered name or gender change, they still have a right to be addressed by a name or pronouns corresponding with their gender identity, the policy reads. Intentional or persistent refusal to respect an employee’s gender identity would be a violation of the policy.
Additionally, transgender and gender diverse employees would have a right to dress in a manner consistent with their gender identity, and have access to restrooms and facilities corresponding with their gender identity.
Employees uncomfortable using sex-segregated restrooms or facilities for any reason would be able to use or request a separate single occupancy restroom or facility when feasible.
To ensure compliance with the policy, the district’s chief human resources officer Margaret Rudolph would work as the compliance officer. In that role, Rudolph would develop administrative regulations to implement the policy, publish and disseminate the policy at least once a year and ensure adequate nondiscrimination procedures are in place.
Pittsburgh Public would also implement ongoing professional development to ensure staff is preventing, identifying and responding to harassment and discrimination.
The proposed policy comes as several states across the country have passed laws targeting LGBTQ+ students and staff. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 527 anti-LGTBQ bills have been introduced in the U.S. this year, including five in Pennsylvania.
And in Florida, Orange County Public Schools, the fourth-largest district in the state, issued guidance last year barring transgender employees from sharing their preferred pronouns and that required students and staff to use restrooms following their “biological sex at birth,” NBC News reported. The guidance, officials said, was in response to two Florida laws that restrict teaching about sex and human sexuality and that require the use of restrooms by gender.
But in recent years the focus on state laws and district policies has largely been on LGBTQ+ students. Locally, the South Side Area School District in Beaver County, which last year created a pronoun committee that was eventually disbanded to decide whether staff had to use students’ preferred names and pronouns, passed three policies focusing on student records including names, sex and gender identity, as well as participation in athletics and bathroom use.
Still other districts, including Pittsburgh Public, have strengthened protections for LGBTQ+ students. The district in 2016 passed a policy allowing students to be addressed by their preferred names and pronouns, which can also be used on school IDs, classroom rosters, in the yearbook and on other school records and documents.
The district will consider the new policy at a future legislative meeting.
