The Illinois School District 211 school board in Palatine, Illinois voted in the wee hours of last evening to approve a settlement about a transgender girl's access to girl's locker room facilities, much to the apparent displeasure of many in the community.

With hundreds gathered in the cafeteria at Hoffman Estates Conant High School last evening, the majority speaking against any settlement, but apparently favoring rather punishment of the child who dares to be different.

Signs were carried by opponents to fairness which read:

As always, I would respond to that, using their own vernacular, with, "And God made transgender people, but your God is too limited to have done anything like that."

Whether the young man wants to admit or not ... he is a man.

--attendee

Last month the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights ruled that the school district was out of compliance with Title IX by forcing the transgender girl to dress in a bathroom far from the rest of the members of the volleyball team she is a member of.

Under the settlement the school has offered the student a curtained off ares of the locker room to change and shower, acknowledging that they were risking lawsuits and the loss of millions of dollars in federal funding.

After two hours of public comment and a three-hour closed-door meeting of the board, it was announced that the settlement had been approved by a vote of 5-2.

The settlement did nothing to heal the divisions in the community however.

Discrimination of any form is wrong

--district mother

The Illinois School District 211 school board in Palatine, Illinois voted in the wee hours of last evening to approve a settlement about a transgender girl's access to girl's locker room facilities, much to the apparent displeasure of many in the community.

With hundreds gathered in the cafeteria at Hoffman Estates Conant High School last evening, the majority speaking against any settlement, but apparently favoring rather punishment of the child who dares to be different.

Signs were carried by opponents to fairness which read:

As always, I would respond to that, using their own vernacular, with, "And God made transgender people, but your God is too limited to have done anything like that."

Whether the young man wants to admit or not ... he is a man.

--attendee

Last month the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights ruled that the school district was out of compliance with Title IX by forcing the transgender girl to dress in a bathroom far from the rest of the members of the volleyball team she is a member of.

Under the settlement the school has offered the student a curtained off ares of the locker room to change and shower, acknowledging that they were risking lawsuits and the loss of millions of dollars in federal funding.

After two hours of public comment and a three-hour closed-door meeting of the board, it was announced that the settlement had been approved by a vote of 5-2.

The settlement did nothing to heal the divisions in the community however.

Discrimination of any form is wrong

--district mother

What if this were your child?

I can't imagine anything more damaging for a student than to be told they are different from all their fellow students. In doing so, the administration is treating them as though they weren't human beings at all.

--Teresa Saunders, district parent, choking back tears

Choose boldly and make history. Accept this agreement.

--Jake Lytle, student speaking in support before the vote

Before demonstrating his intolerance, parent Jeff MIller said,

I'm not intolerant, and I'm not a bigot. People have the right in this country to live their lives the way they see fit, and I respect that. When it starts infringing on other people's rights, that's when it becomes a problem.

Miller claims that his daughter is frightened that the transgender student could gain access to the girl's locker room.

The difference is in how we define gender. I define it by based on biology, and the other side defines it based on gender identity, which is essential nothing but a belief.

This is not a civil rights issue.

--Miller

They ought to be ashamed of themselves for even doing that [accommodating the trans girl]. Why are we bending over backward for one student? What happened to majority rules?

--Bill Nix, Palatine resident

One high school senior cited her personal modestly and religious beliefs in not wanting the transgender student to be allowed in the locker room.

"I'm not totally comfortable changing in front of girls," she said. "I would be uncomfortable changing in front of someone I believe is a guy."

She did not want her name used and did not speak in the public comment portion of the meeting in part because she was "absolutely terrified of what other people would think of me, if they would call me intolerant." She said many of the students she has spoken to support the transgender student and believe that the parents are driving the discussion.

Other people might call her intolerant? Let me be the first.

How do we teach our kids that sexting is wrong and nudity is wrong and pornography is wrong, yet it's OK to see the opposite sex in your locker room if they feel this way?

--Jennifer Soloway

Why is your child peeking around the curtain? Notice how Ms. Soloway links transgender people with pornography and exhibitionism.