To Whom It May Concern:

As a parent, I am deeply concerned about the policy Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System (“CMS”) adopted on June 20, 2016.  This policy ignores both federal and state law, and jeopardizes the privacy, safety, and dignity of my child(ren).  My child(ren) feel both anxious and disrespected faced with the reality that this new policy will force them to share intimate facilities with members of the opposite sex, threatening their well-being and peace of mind on a day-to-day basis.  As an educational institution, you have a responsibility to protect every child’s right to privacy.  There exist commonsense solutions that individual school districts can enact to protect every child’s right to privacy, but regrettably these were not adopted.

CMS’ decision reflects neither courage, understanding, nor compassion.  On the contrary, it violates hundreds of children’s privacy rights and dignity interests by forcing students to share restrooms, locker rooms, and accommodations on overnight trips with members of the opposite biological sex.  As parents and as school administrators and teachers, we cannot sacrifice the dignity and privacy of any of our students.  I respectfully request an explanation regarding how you believe this new policy protects the privacy rights and dignity interests of every student entrusted to your care, specifically those students who cannot undress, shower, or share a room with a member of the opposite biological sex.  As we rapidly approach the start of the 2016-2017 school year, I look forward to your timely response regarding our concerns.  We reserve the right to take any legal action to ensure that our child(ren)’s dignity interests and privacy rights are protected.   

Sincerely,

Parents, Teachers, and Concerned Citizens of North Carolina Schools