During a meeting on Monday, Katherine Sasser, a Missouri School Board member, announced her resignation for her child's safety as a transgender person in Missouri.
Sasser explained that her decision was based on recent legislation introduced by state lawmakers that would have a negative impact on her transgender daughter.
According to the Columbia Daily Tribune, she tearfully expressed that her family would be relocating out of state before the start of the next school year because they no longer felt safe in Missouri.
Sasser's resignation is effective as of Tuesday, and she plans to officially submit her letter of resignation.
She had previously shared her concerns about the proposed legislation during previous board meetings.
Choosing Her Transgender Child's Safety
Katherine Sasser's statement after the board meeting expressed her deep connection to Columbia, Missouri, where she had spent the last two decades of her life.
She arrived in the city as a college freshman at the University of Missouri in 2003, and since then, Columbia has become her home, where she has built her life and raised her family. Sasser expressed her appreciation for the district, which she said had "professionally raised" her.
KOMU reported that Sasser also expressed her sadness and concern over the possibility of a future Missouri where young people are not given the opportunity to appreciate and embrace diversity.
Sasser also expressed her fear of classrooms that only present one point of view, where students cannot be their true selves, and where educators are not trusted to make necessary decisions to serve their students.
She implored people to use their agency and privilege to stand up for those who are being attacked, particularly minorities. She urged people to believe others when they express their needs and to care for each other.
Sasser also took the time to thank various people who have supported her, including Superintendent Brian Yearwood, the Columbia Public Schools staff, fellow board members, educators, friends, family, and the community.
After her remarks, board president Suzette Waters expressed her gratitude to Sasser for her service and the joy she had brought to the community.
Sasser's statement and subsequent ovation serve as a reminder of the profound impact that one person can have on a community and the power of empathy, compassion, and kindness to effect change.
Missouri's Anti-Transgender Bills
According to NBC News, the American Civil Liberties Union reports that this year, Missouri has introduced 48 bills aimed at restricting LGBTQ rights, with only Texas introducing more.
Shockingly, nearly half of those bills are specifically targeted at limiting the rights of transgender individuals.
The situation worsened last month when Missouri's Republican-led House passed a bill that would prohibit gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, for minors.
At the same time, Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who was investigating an adolescent gender clinic at St. Louis Children's Hospital, announced an emergency rule that would restrict transition-related care for all transgender people in the state.
The rule, which was set to take effect on April 27, was blocked by a judge a few hours before its implementation, and the judge extended the order until July 20, pending a hearing.
This series of events shows a troubling trend of attacks on the rights of the LGBTQ community, and particularly on the rights of transgender individuals, in Missouri.
It highlights the importance of fighting for equality and protecting the rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
