An Osseo Senior High School student who identifies as transgender has accused school officials of violating her rights in a Nov. 28 incident in one of the school bathrooms.
Cece Doll made a post on Facebook with two videos of the incident.
“I Guess I Can’t Use The Girls Bathroom Just Because I’m Transgender,” she writes in the post. “Been Violating By Principal and Admin and Hallmonsters. This Was Today 11/28/18.”
A Minnesota High School is under fire after school staff and administrators opened the door on a transgender student while she was using the bathroom.
In a deeply disturbing video published by the student on November 28, Osseo Senior High School staff are seen using a stick to unlock the door while she is on the toilet (INTO has withheld the name of the student because she could not be reached for comment and might be underage).
The student states on the video that a staff member is looking over the stall at her and pans up to show hands over the top divider.
Seconds later, the video shows a stick being used to unlock the door. It appears to show a female staff member unlocking the door with two male staff members behind her, staring at the student while she is using the bathroom.
“I’m using the bathroom right now, and they just violated me,” she says in the video published on Facebook. “They’re some perverts. You’re a pervert.”
A second video posted by the student appears to show her either being removed from or leaving school.
The incident calls into question the school’s compliance with Minnesota state law and its own handbook. Minnesota was the first state to put gender identity protections on the books in 1993. Last year, the state’s Department of Education published a toolkit specifically guiding schools on how to support transgender students.
“Schools should work with transgender and gender nonconforming students to ensure that they are able to access needed facilities in a manner that is safe, consistent with their gender identity and does not stigmatize them,” the document states.
Osseo also has a policy against verbal and non-verbal assault based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
GLSEN, the national organization that advocates for LGBTQ students, has reached out to Osseo staff, the organization told INTO.
“Transgender, non binary, and gender non conforming students, especially students of color, who experience unsupportive and unsafe home and school environments risk falling into the school to prison pipeline,” said a.t. Furuya, youth programs manager at GLSEN. “When students face harassment and discrimination at school by staff and peers, harmful hurdles to success are put into their path, and their capacity to thrive and excel into adulthood is diminished.”
GLSEN reports that the school’s Gay Straight Alliance registered 30 members, some of whom may identify as straight.
Neither district spokespeople nor Osseo Senior High School Principal Michael Lehan responded to INTO’s requests for comment.
However, a spokesperson for the schools told CBS Minnesota in a statement that “social media posts are significantly misrepresenting the incident and that staff works very hard every day to help ensure an inclusive school where all students feel welcome, respected and safe.
Osseo Senior High School Principal Michael Lehan has released a statement regarding the incident.
Lehan addressed the school families by stating: “I am aware of social media posts that significantly misrepresent an incident that occurred at school on Nov. 28. It’s important for you to know that no students were barred or banned from using any bathroom at Osseo Senior High. I sincerely wish I could say more, but for data privacy reasons, I cannot provide details about a situation involving a specific student.”
Lehan continues, “What I hope you already know is that we work every day to create an inclusive school where students feel welcome and respected. Our staff regularly works with individual students and families who have varying needs, including needs related to identity. I also want to assure you that staff intervenes in the use of restrooms only in situations such as the following: Concern about the safety of students, staff or community members; illness or health-related issues; and suspected illegal activity.”
The Osseo Police Department has also released a statement: “It has been brought to our attention of an incident that occurred the other day between a student and staff in the bathrooms at Osseo Senior High School. While we recognize the concern regarding this event, we wanted to make sure that those concerns expressed to us via social media are being heard and addressed by the proper agency. Please address any and all concerns regarding this incident to the Maple Grove Police Department, who handle the school liaison duties within the Osseo High School during the school day.”
According to the Maple Grove Police Department, it does have school resource officers in the school during school time hours. According to Maple Grove Police Captain Adam Lindquist, “With this particular incident our School Resource Officer played a supportive role for the school staff as they do on a daily basis.” The officer was not actively involved in the incident.
Lindquist continued, “We support the Osseo School Districts statement and value our partnership with the students and staff. It is unfortunate, due to data privacy laws, that we will not be able to share more information involving the video posted on social media that does not accurately reflect the entire situation."
Osseo Senior High is ranked 51st within Minnesota. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® course work and exams. The AP® participation rate at Osseo Senior High is 36 percent. The student body makeup is 50 percent male and 50 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 57 percent. Osseo Senior High is 1 of 4 high schools in the Osseo Senior High School Principal Michael Lehan has released a statement regarding the incident.
Lehan addressed the school families by stating: “I am aware of social media posts that significantly misrepresent an incident that occurred at school on Nov. 28. It’s important for you to know that no students were barred or banned from using any bathroom at Osseo Senior High. I sincerely wish I could say more, but for data privacy reasons, I cannot provide details about a situation involving a specific student.”
Lehan continues, “What I hope you already know is that we work every day to create an inclusive school where students feel welcome and respected. Our staff regularly works with individual students and families who have varying needs, including needs related to identity. I also want to assure you that staff intervenes in the use of restrooms only in situations such as the following: Concern about the safety of students, staff or community members; illness or health-related issues; and suspected illegal activity.”
The Osseo Police Department has also released a statement: “It has been brought to our attention of an incident that occurred the other day between a student and staff in the bathrooms at Osseo Senior High School. While we recognize the concern regarding this event, we wanted to make sure that those concerns expressed to us via social media are being heard and addressed by the proper agency. Please address any and all concerns regarding this incident to the Maple Grove Police Department, who handle the school liaison duties within the Osseo High School during the school day.”
According to the Maple Grove Police Department, it does have school resource officers in the school during school time hours. According to Maple Grove Police Captain Adam Lindquist, “With this particular incident our School Resource Officer played a supportive role for the school staff as they do on a daily basis.” The officer was not actively involved in the incident.
Lindquist continued, “We support the Osseo School Districts statement and value our partnership with the students and staff. It is unfortunate, due to data privacy laws, that we will not be able to share more information involving the video posted on social media that does not accurately reflect the entire situation.”
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