Engage D15 slate won't engage on transgender issue

There is an obvious takeaway from the article "District 15 superintendent: Transgender policy rooted in anti-discrimination laws" published March 5 in the Daily Herald.

The Engage D15 slate is avoiding answering the important question: "Where do you stand on transgender policy" because they fear their answer will cost them the election. We have heard from all other candidates running in the D15 race (except for Sid Aman who was not reached) about their positions.

The Engage D15 slate is running primarily on a platform of "transparency." Yet, ironically, they are being the least transparent of all the candidates on an issue that has put Palatine in the national spotlight. The non-answer, "Our candidates are actively soliciting input from our community to ensure we reflect their wishes" is a smoke-screen. And it is false. Try posing the question about transgender access to any one of these candidates on their Facebook page or other online group. They respond they are waiting for community input and then change the subject.

Not only are they not seeking input, they are shutting down those of us who try to have a conversation about it. I have emailed and sent PMs only to have my messages ignored.

Blaming the current board for not being transparent with the community and then refusing to be transparent themselves is a flimsy attempt to avoid this issue until after the votes are counted. We keep hearing that this team is a mix of Republicans, Democrats and independents. If that is true then I hope the more liberal minded of the group will take a stand for our transgender youth who are fearful without protections of the federal government.

You can still run on your slate's platform of community engagement and transparency while standing up for the students you hope to one day represent.

Lindsay Christensen

Palatine