GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Hundreds of Grants Pass High School students walked out of class Tuesday afternoon to show their support for the transgender and LGBTQ+ community following the school board's decision last week to reinstate two educators surrounded by controversy. The educators have expressed public support for educational policies that favor a student's biological sex over their gender identity.
Rachel Damiano and Katie Medart were fired in July for using school district equipment for a personal project, KOBI-TV reported. On Nov. 9, the Grants Pass School Board voted to reverse its decision and reinstate former North Middle School assistant principal Damiano and former science teacher Medart.
Damiano and Medart are seen in videos online promoting "I Resolve." The campaign asks local, state and federal leaders to adopt several resolutions and policies outlined on its website. Among those policies includes relabeling bathrooms to say "anatomically male" and "anatomically female." The campaign's website also says it supports allowing students to be referred to by their preferred pronouns, with parent permission, but that students and staff should not be required to use the preferred pronouns.
During the student-led walkout on Nov. 16, adults from religious groups showed up and formed a counter-protest, resulting in about 300 people outside the school. Police arrested three people including a 15-year-old student accused of spitting on a counter-protester and 14-year-old accused of swinging a broom at a man.
Many students who attended the walkout told KOBI-TV that they believe the educators are supporting an anti-transgender campaign and that they should not have been reinstated. While Damiano and Medart did not work at Grants Pass High school, where the walkout took place, students said their videos have circulated around the student body and that they don't feel safe at school.
KOBI-TV reached out to Damiano and Medart last week, but they declined to comment about the walkout.
