Another school one: all girls school welcomes a boy & hides it. Mum sues.

Exactly. If the school are denying the boy is a boy, they are not going to be separating him from the girls for toilets, sleeping, changing or sports. It’s so awful.

I feel so much for the woman suing. She tried for a YEAR to get clear answers from the school but was stonewalled (appropriately). It's the Humpty Dumpty defence (words mean whatever we want them to and stuff reality) and it's so anti-safeguarding.

As for the school - I hope that safeguarding failures are examined and anyone responsible for mixed sex by stealth changing or toilet use loses their job.

I accept PP saying it's an otherwise good school, but the rot on this needs to be weeded out. For the sake of safety for girls.

I also very much hope any girl who lost out on a place in this year group also sues the school and received compensation.

Yes but it identifies as an Oxford college. (Handwaves away reality and geography as irrelevant)

Cambridge colleges are Oxford colleges if they want to be. Obvs.

We all know what lengths parents will go to to get into The Best School - faking their address, moving house, pretending to be catholic - so I have zero doubts that if trans children are allowed into a single sex school of their gender identity, it will be taken advantage of.

@RDal nothing communist about gender ideology. The Communist Party of Great Britain has clearly and consistently opposed the idea that transwomen are women and supported sex-based protections.

The question we were asking is on what basis do they pick the men they admit to a women’s institution? If it’s “only men who are trans” that’s unlawful discrimination, because it’s “because of” the protected characteristic of gender reassignment.

the example in the EA guidance as to what is meant by “exceptionally” in the context of admission of the opposite sex is the son of a member of staff to a girl’s school. Being the child of a staff member is not a protected characteristic, it’s a lawful way to pick the exceptions to the “girl’s only” rule. I doubt that applies to “women and exceptionally, trans-identifying men” criteria. But - it has never been tested.

Is it a Monty Python misquote?

Stop trying to tell us how to vote.

Given that Reform's plans to repeal the Equality Act will render the For Women Scotland verdict a dead letter, I'll stick to voting for whoever is most likely to beat Reform in my constituency.

even she subtly dropped her son out of Scouts to avoid questions about camping

It's a huge shame that this boy will miss out on the life skills, fun, and companionship of Scouts because his mum can't bring herself to say "sweetie, you are a boy".

Isn't Newnham a Cambridge college?

NYN

not your Nigel

Jonathan Woss?

😆

Wookie Chewy!

Somebody has to sue, though. It's getting so tedious. Somebody has to sue. Every. Bloody. Time.

Why won't institutions do the right thing in the first place?😡

Wockery? 🤔

Welease Wodger?

This doesn't mean it will survive contact with a legal challenge. It could find this unlawful.

To be fair, in all other ways it's an excellent school. Both academically, in terms of support for pupils and extracurricular activities. The letter was pretty vague in many ways and follows the school's usual pattern of letting parents know of any issues or incidents before we find out from our children, but not sharing specifics of any child.

I can see how in the awful climate of the last few years the LA could have admitted this boy with a girls name and not even told the school, then told them it's the law, you have to keep them after the school figured it out. I hope that separate changing and bathroom facilities were provided or that they used the ones for the sixth form boys.

I am very disappointed with the school not communicating that they were mixed sex and giving parents and children the opportunity for informed consent, safeguarding, privacy and dignity conversations. I hope they will now provide clarity quickly as I am sure they will be inundated by questions from parents.

DD is not aware of any other trans girls, but then she only became aware of this trans girl after the headlines hit. Apparently they were 2 years above her and so naturally left the school last year.

Interestingly, DH who annoyingly talks about compromise and being kind whenever we talk about women's rights to single sex spaces was shocked and unimpressed so maybe he's starting to get it, now it is becoming real and relating to DD.

Oh wow - the school has written to the parents blaming the LA but in doing so admit they have complicit for ? Months or years? Just wow

Just asked DD, year 10. She's aware that the school is "getting sued" and says the boy was in year 11 and has "left now".

She isn't aware of any other boys at school. Only of girls that identify as boys / non binary (only in an experimental this is how I feel today way, no actual transitions and I was aware of this).

Off to ask school about changing arrangements.