Yesterday, we sent out the email attached below. In the meantime, the Sarasota School Board has pulled Agenda Item 10.14 from the Board Agenda for the May 20 meeting. Some of the original links in our previous email will no longer work, but the screenshot of the proposed changes is still in our original email below. The screenshot shows the tracked revisions, including removal of the three protected classes.

So it’s now time to pivot from Plan A to Plan B.

You should still plan to speak up about the proposed revision to the Student Code of Conduct that we describe in more detail below. Instead of speaking for 3 minutes during the Agenda Public Comments section at the beginning of the meeting, you should plan to speak during the 2 minute non-Agenda Public Comments at the end of the meeting.

We urge you to encourage the Board to maintain the current version of Section 300.3 so that ALL students are protected from discrimination, for the many reasons outlined below.

The Sarasota County School Board Agenda Item 10.14 puts forward a proposal that would make changes to the Student Code of Conduct, specifically to Section 300.3 “DISCRIMINATION”. The proposed revisions would remove the following classification categories from protection against discrimination:

· sexual orientation

· gender identity

· gender expression

A vote to accept these proposed changes would mean that LGBTQ students and potentially any students perceived to be such should have no civil rights or expectation of being protected against discrimination in public schools.

The screenshot below is from the Student Code of Conduct, Section 300.3 Discrimination, showing the original text and the proposed tracked changes that would remove protections against discrimination for our LGBTQ students. If you can’t read it, here is a link to the document.

LINK TO PROPOSED REVISIONS TO SECTION 300.3 (see Agenda item 10.14, click on “2025-26 CSC Secondary Red Line pt. 2 pdf): https://sarasotacountyschools.diligent.community/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=82

We assume that this revision to the Student Code of Conduct is based on President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”. There are currently 13 lawsuits pending against the constitutionality of this EO. There is absolutely no reason for the school board to limit protections using this EO as a basis when its constitutionality is in question.

In April of 2024, the school board majority, in a 4-1 vote, passed a resolution to ignore changes to Title IX, which would have broadened the protected classes under that law, on the basis that these changes would not survive judicial scrutiny. The board risked the loss of up to 50 million dollars in federal funding because of this resolution. Will the board take the same action to protect our students in this case? We hope that the board is also willing to stand up for the civil rights of our LGBTQ students, as the legality of the Executive Order is far from certain.

As a community, we must do everything possible to protect ALL students, including our LGBTQ students. This is an issue of civil rights for ALL students. The message that will be sent to students if the proposed changes are approved is that the lives of our LGBTQ students are not worth protecting from discrimination. That is unacceptable.

We strongly urge that all community members take a stand against this move to strip away the civil rights of our students. These revisions would place these students in imminent danger of the loss of their equal protection rights under the law and would send a message that they are not worthy of protection. Is this the message we want to send to these students? That the lives of our LGBTQ students are less than and not deserving of basic human dignity? What about “Every Student. Every Day”?

Please attend the Sarasota County school board meeting on Tuesday, May 20, at 6:00 pm and plan to speak during public comments. Please note that this meeting will be held at the North Port City Hall, which is located at 4970 City Hall Blvd, North Port, FL 34286, and NOT at the School Board Chambers at the Landings.

You can sign up 24 hours before the meeting to speak during public comments.

You have two opportunities to speak:

you have 3 minutes to speak on Agenda items at the beginning of the meeting
you have 2 minutes to speak on non-Agenda items at the end of the meeting

You must sign up separately (twice) for the Agenda and non-Agenda public comments.

This is the link to sign up to speak; it will not open until 24 hours before the school board meeting.

Link to sign up to speak at the school board meeting

If you can, please plan to show up at all of the following events and speak at the school board meeting during public comments:

· Strategy Session at the North Port Library, Juiliano room, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL 34287

· Rally in front of the North Port City Hall, 4970 City Hall Blvd, North Port, FL 34286

· School Board Meeting at North Port City Hall, 4970 City Hall Blvd, North Port, FL 34286

If you are unable to attend the board meeting, please post on social media and write to school board members to let them know that you believe that all students should be protected from discrimination and harassment. The email address for the board is:

schoolboardmembers@sarasotacountyschools.net

LINK TO CURRENT Student Code of Conduct: https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/documents/parents-and-students/student-handbook-and-family-handbook/section-3-%E2%80%93-behavior/589876

Protect Students.

Stop Bullying.

Reject Discrimination.

Sarasota County Schools is removing language from their Student Code of Conduct that affirms the ability for LGBTQ youth to “attend school in an environment where all students and adults are treated equally”. This decision will result in increased bullying instances and strips our youth of the right to attend a safe school.
Sarasota County Schools is also removing language from their Student Code of Conduct that affirms the responsibility of students to treat everyone, including their LGBTQ peers “fairly and with respect”. This district should be ashamed that they are empowering harassment and discrimination amongst students.
Despite what the district says, this is not about compliance or any legal requirement. There are no State or Federal laws or any Executive Orders over the last 100 days, requiring school districts to remove any of these student protections. While multiple school districts are updating policies in response to the changing Federal landscape, we have seen no other school districts remove their enumerated protections for LGBTQ students related to harassment, bullying, and discrimination.
Sarasota County Schools is jeopardizing student safety. Our families deserve a district that stands up for students, not sacrifices them because of potential, future, political pressure. There was no need to make these changes, and the community deserves to know who is pushing for the removal of these life-saving protections.
We urge Sarasota County Schools to focus on creating safe, fair, and welcoming schools. This is the bare minimum to ensure every student wants to attend school, feels safe, and can focus on their academics. Sarasota County Schools must prioritize student safety and learning, not subject our kids to harassment and discrimination.
By removing these important protections, the school district is also making it more difficult for staff to address bullying. Research shows that when teachers stop responding to harmful or negative language in the classroom, the negative behaviors just amplify. Empower staff to do their jobs with compassion and fairness, not strip them of the policies to hold all kids accountable to treating their peers with respect.

Reject Bullying and Harassment in Sarasota County Schools

Subject: Sarasota Students Deserve Protection — Show Up May 20th

We’re reaching out because Sarasota County students urgently need your support.

Sarasota County Schools has drafted changes to its Student Code of Conduct that would remove key protections for all students, including our LGBTQ youth. This harmful action will send a message that some students are less worthy of safety and respect. Sarasota County Schools has no basis to remove language that affirms the ability for LGBTQ students to “attend school in an environment where all students and adults are treated equally”.

Despite what the district says, this is not about compliance or any legal requirement. There are no State or Federal laws or any Executive Orders over the last 100 days, requiring school districts to remove any of these student protections. This decision will simply result in more harassment, increased bullying instances, and strips our students of the right to attend a safe school.

Now is the time to speak up. We need you to attend the school board meeting, share a public comment, and show that this community stands up for all students.