Eugene 4J was the first school district in Oregon to pass a gender policy in 2015. Since then gender identity has become a protected class under state law.
Brian Bull / KLCC
This week the Eugene 4J School Board voted to update its policies making it explicitly clear that transgender students and staff are protected in the district.
The public move comes days after the Trump administration’s executive order removed references to and protections for gender identity in the federal government.
Carmen Xiomara Urbina, 4J’s current chief of staff and former inclusion manager, helped draft the policy. She told the school board Wednesday that just a decade ago, many students were afraid to join their school’s Gay Straight Alliance Club, and instead said they were going to the geography club because they felt unsafe.
She said at that time, many students also wouldn’t drink or eat all day because they couldn’t go to a restroom that matched their identity. She said many of those students testified to the school board, which passed the first school gender policy in the state.
“I do remember clearly the tears, and anxiety that these students brought to this room,” Urbina said.
She thanked the district for continuing to take steps to protect vulnerable students.
“The protection for LGBTQ2SIA+ is not a choice, but a duty,” Urbina said. “Now the work starts because it’s now about the implementation.”
Specifically, the school board passed a resolution promising to recognize and support students' gender identity, provide psychological safety and support, and an inclusive curriculum. It also passed policies explicitly recognizing the rights of transgender students and school staff.
Gender identity has been a protected class in Oregon since 2021, making it illegal for schools, employers and housing providers to discriminate against transgender people.
Beyond requirements in Oregon law, the Oregon Department of Education has also created guidelines for supporting LGBTQ student identities.
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