ODE weighs in on Outdoor School controversy

Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 22, 2022

When the Culver School District Superintendent abruptly pulled sixth graders from outdoor school, her actions also affected the teen counselors who stayed behind.

Monday, Oct. 17, District Superintendent Stefanie Garber pulled all Culver students from outdoor school at Camp Tamarack in Central Oregon, because some students expressed discomfort at having to dress and sleep in a cabin with a counselor who is non-binary, and does not identify as male or female.

Garber says she wanted to protect her students. “They were supposed to undress and sleep in front of someone who, from their view, appeared as the opposite sex.”

However, the Camp Tamarack’s Executive Director Charlie Anderson worried about how the district’s actions affected the volunteer counselors.

“I feel deeply for the high school students (also kids) who were singled out because of their identity,” Anderson said.

Neither the school district nor Camp Tamarack are providing many details about the situation, including how many children complained or how many counselors were involved.

Camp Tamarack follows Oregon Department of Education guidelines for its outdoor school policies, which call for “creating non-discriminatory environments.”

“Districts and schools are encouraged to consider the difference between cisgender student discomfort or lack of understanding,” said ODE Communications Director Marc Siegel, “with the increased risk of harm and safety needs of gender expansive students.” Cisgender people identify with the sex and gender assigned at birth. Gender expansive people don’t adhere to gender stereotypes.

Siegel points to studies showing higher suicide and depression rates among gender expansive people.

Siegel said no one should be discriminated against, including those who are cisgender or those who are gender expansive.

“Accommodations can be made for those students that feel uncomfortable, and a student should not be forced to stay in a situation where they are uncomfortable,” wrote Siegel, “but that individual support plan cannot create a discriminatory environment for other students either, and cannot infringe on the rights of others to experience nondiscrimination.”

Anderson, the camp’s director, said the cabin where the students were feeling uncomfortable had a private changing closet.

The policy information on the Camp Tamarack website says, “Camp Tamarack has private, single-use bathrooms, changing, and shower facilities available for any students desiring increased privacy regardless of identity, expression or background.”

Anderson says the camp didn’t get an opportunity to discuss those concerns with the district and said the camp didn’t know the students were leaving until the buses showed up to take them home.

“We feel that was a true missed opportunity for meaningful conversation and solutions,” Anderson said.

“While I can’t speak to whether discrimination definitely occurred in this situation, anyone who believes they have been subject to discrimination in a public K-12 program can file a complaint with that district,” wrote Siegel.