Safe Schools Alliance -v- Oxfordshire Council

[GenderfreeLang]

Update on Safe Schools Alliance UK

Thank you so much for donating to our Crowdfunder. I wanted to write and update you with our progress. The money donated allowed us to ascertain there was a case to be made against Oxfordshire County Council on the basis their Transgender Toolkit was unlawful.

Three claimants from Oxfordshire came forward (a teacher, a parent and a 13 year old girl). Their solicitor wrote to OCC in December last year outlining the legal case and the safeguarding concerns. They were told they had until 3rd January to remove the Toolkit. They declined to remove it and so we are now gathering evidence to make an application to the court for a judicial review. Although it's a case against a regional body this will have national significance for all transgender schools policy in the UK and will give us an opportunity to get case law in our favour. This is a very important case for all children in England and Wales and will have implication for schools policy in Scotland.

All the details can be found on our website here including the solicitor's letter and the article in the Sunday Times:

The parent claimant Vicki Edwards has bravely waived her right to anonymity and she, along with the other 2 claimants, are raising money for the judicial review. Details can be found here.

Please would you consider sharing their crowdfunder? They have raised nearly £13,000 so far but they have a way to go yet so any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Safe Schools Alliance UK is supporting the claimants in this case and providing witness statements.

Thank you for your support so far. To keep up to date, please follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Tracy

Safe Schools Alliance UK

Thank you for posting this. And, of course, for taking action.

There is no link in the original post. The website is safeschoolsallianceuk.net/

Thanks for posting the link to the website.

This is a really important case as if SSA win it will set a precedent and other authorities will be more inclined to remove similar cpntent.

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Bump

And thanks for the work you are doing on this💪

Thank you so much, from a parent whose child's school has been infiltrated by two organisations with extremely dodgy ideologies and representatives and factually incorrect teaching materials.

Thanks for sharing. I am attending a talk on gender identity in my dc school soon, and will be listening with interest.

This is a really important subject. I'm glad it's getting challenged.

I genuflect in your general direction. This is so important, we've already lost so much time and so much ground. (grips spade)

Thanks for sharing. I am attending a talk on gender identity in my dc school soon, and will be listening with interest.

I'll be reading your account of it with interest!

I've contributed to the fundraiser. This is too important to ignore. Thank you.

For anyone coming to this for the first time, I've copied a bit off the website that outlines what the alleged "unlawful" bits of the Transgender Toolkit are (namely, big red safeguarding flags):

This guidance fails to take into account all protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and will see schools being compelled to allow male pupils to share changing rooms, toilets and dorm rooms on residential trips with female pupils – without parents’ knowledge or permission. It also allows males to take part in sports alongside females.

This is in direct opposition to all safeguarding protocols which recommend that single sex provision should be made for children over the age of 8 when sleeping, using toilets and changing and that contact sports should be segregated after puberty for safety reasons.

The guidance also indicates that teachers failing to affirm the ‘gender identity’ of their pupils may face disciplinary action, and makes the damaging assumption that any parent doing anything other than unquestioningly affirming the chosen ‘gender identity’ of their child should be viewed as a source of harm. This is extremely alarming. It is in the best interests of children when schools and parents work together. Schools should not undermine Parental Responsibility (PR). Only courts have the power to remove PR.

There are many reasons why children may choose not to identify with their biological sex, and compelling parents and teachers to simply affirm these children’s feelings, without questioning what else may be going on in their lives, may be detrimental to their physical and mental health. It is essential that everything going on in a child’s life is taken into account, along with Gillick competency.

Donations don't seem to work from a mobile phone, has anyone else managed to contribute?

Yes, it worked for me on a laptop.

Teachers, parents and grandparents across the UK will be watching with bated breath. We are so fortunate to have such brave people willing to stand against the tsunami of propaganda that is flooding our schools.

Thanks for sharing.

From Victoria Edwards:

"We believe the guidance places the rights of trans identified children above the rights of all other children and staff. It encourages staff to affirm the chosen gender identity of any child who wishes to identify into the opposite sex while closing down avenues for staff to uphold basic safeguarding principles within schools. It also encourages parental alienation and suggests that any parent who doesn’t affirm their child’s chosen gender identity may be a safeguarding risk and causing harm to their child.

Anybody who objects to a member of the opposite sex being allowed access to toilets, changing rooms, sleeping accommodation on residential trips and to compete in single sex sports may be judged to be acting hatefully and subject to sanction and ostracism. Girls who feel uncomfortable with male bodied trans girls in their private spaces where they need privacy in a girls’ only environment, or where they would be at a physical disadvantage or in some cases in physical danger while playing sport, are completely dismissed in the document. Both children and staff will be forced to deny reality, that somebody is a member of the sex which they clearly are, which is especially confusing and upsetting for children. I also believe that this could be harmful for trans children themselves, as the guidance may breed resentment towards them and further marginalise them at a time where fitting in and feeling part of a community is of great importance to their emotional wellbeing, further intensifying their feelings of distress and alienation.

As parents we need to raise our children to understand that it is their right to have boundaries; that they should have their bodily autonomy respected; that they should think critically and value honesty and truth; and that they should be able to express their feelings and concerns without fear and in the knowledge that their trusted adults will keep them safe, and I strongly believe that this guidance is in direct opposition to this responsibility."

Thanks for the update on this.
I'm following as this is so important for safeguarding and will influence so many other local authority stand points on this.

I'll make a contribution.