Students at a southern Oregon high school walked out of class last week, igniting a tense community debate over transgender rights, student privacy, and school policy.
The protest came after a transgender student had been using girls’ restrooms and locker rooms, a situation that some students said made them uncomfortable.
The Oct. 8 demonstration began just after 1 p.m. local time, when dozens of students, joined by parents and local residents, gathered outside the Roseburg school, holding signs that read “No boys in girls’ locker rooms,” “Trans rights are women’s rights,” and “Girls deserve privacy too,” according to local newspaper The News-Review.
Parent and walkout organizer Shannon Miller told The News-Review that her daughter and her friends raised concerns weeks earlier.
“Some of my daughter’s friends let me know about all of this going on,” Miller said.
“As a mom, I don’t stand for boys in my daughter’s locker room,” she said.
“Students were afraid of getting reprimanded from the school to do this, so we stood behind them and helped them put it together.”
Sophomore Layla Seal said she supports transgender rights but believes girls’ privacy should come first.
“I think that it’s really disrespectful that trans people are preaching women’s rights and then disrespecting our privacy,” she told The News-Review.
“I don’t have a problem with trans people at all until it makes me uncomfortable.”
Fellow sophomore Trevor Ling said he doesn’t think “boys should be in the girls’ locker room.”
“If you transition, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” he said.
Under Oregon law, schools must allow students to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.
That policy was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year.
Not everyone supported the walkout.
Senior Donovan Loy-Steiner called the event “an outshowing of transphobia and bullying against children in our community.”
“I’m here specifically because I have several trans friends who have done absolutely no harm to anyone and would like to simply live unimpeded,” he said.
Another senior, Cyrus Stratton, said the protest unfairly targeted a single student.
“I couldn’t imagine that one person, with no support behind them, and having 200 people against me. That must be terrifying,” Stratton said.
In a lengthy statement, Roseburg Schools Superintendent Jared Cordon did not directly address the walkout but spoke broadly about the controversy.
He said the district is committed to “a safe, supportive and respectful learning environment for every student.”
Cordon acknowledged that privacy and gender identity “are deeply personal and can evoke strong feelings,” and said staff are “listening and approaching this topic with empathy and care.”
He also noted that “every student has access to private changing options, including private bathroom stalls or an alternative gender-neutral space,” and reaffirmed that the district must “uphold Oregon law” allowing transgender students to use facilities that match their gender identity.
Cordon urged families seeking changes to “advocate through the appropriate legislative channels,” adding, “Our schools are places for learning, not political battles.”
On social media, reaction to the walkout was swift and divided.
One commenter wrote on The News-Review’s Facebook page, “Wonder how the staff would feel if the opposite sex invaded their restroom?”
Another countered, “Trans students want rights and to feel safe just like anyone else — it’s about safety, not right or wrong.”
Others called for infrastructure solutions.
“Simple solution — have stalls for everyone,” one woman wrote.
Another added, “All kids should have privacy … every bathroom should be single-stall.”
Still others backed the walkout outright:
“Protect our girls. They need a safe place to go.”
One man warned he’d pull his kids from the district, saying, “Maybe if the school started losing students, they’d change their tune.”
As the debate continues, Cordon said the district’s goal remains clear: “Every student, every day, deserves dignity and respect — even when we disagree.”
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