During a school board meeting on Monday, September 23, the Richland School Board presented Kasey Caron with a printed notice that they had ended discussion of the Homecoming King issue, and would not pursue it further.
Kasey is a female to male transgender student who petitioned his school district to allow him to run for Homecoming King. Kasey had filed to run for Homecoming Court as a male, but was placed on the female ballot by administrators and subsequently elected. The school district claimed that they were legally unable to recognize him as male, because his driver’s license read female. Upon having his driver’s license amended to reflect his gender, the school board solicitor, Tim Leventry claimed that a male birth certificate was required for Kasey to be considered male by the district.
Kasey is now requesting that he be allowed to wear a blue cap and gown at graduation along with the other males, and sit on the males’ side of the stage. He also wishes to establish a Gay Straight Alliance at Richland High School, and is asking the district to include gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy.
Kasey’s mother, Kathy Caron was the first speaker at the school board meeting yesterday evening. She presented the board members with a three page statement citing laws which prevent gender stereotyping in public schools, and allows students to form a Gay Straight Alliance if the district has any other extra-curricular clubs.
The board claimed they needed more time to discuss the issues, but gave no timeframe for doing so. The next school board meeting is scheduled for October 7, two days after the school’s Homecoming Game. After Kasey’s mother spoke, the School Board quickly moved on to other items on the agenda.
Mike Campbell, a board member of The Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition present at Monday’s school board meeting said that he was disappointed in the outcome. “The school board doesn’t want to discuss anything, they just want the situation to go away.”
While Kasey may not able to change the school district’s homecoming decision, he is looking to the future to bring equality to Richland. Kasey told NBC 10, “Just because I can’t win this doesn’t mean that it’s over. We lost this battle, but there are plenty left for me to fight and I’m not backing down anytime soon.”