Fight brewing over transgender person in Evergreen College locker room

BY Tim Haeck  on November 2, 2012 @ 7:41 am (Updated: 3:01 pm - 11/2/12 )

A new legal fight is brewing over Evergreen State College's decision to allow a transgender person to use the women's locker room.

A group that takes on legal issues surrounding religion has sent a letter to the college in Olympia.

It complains about the 45-year-old student with male genitals, who dresses as a woman.

The letter claims there has been a problem for years of men using the women's locker facilities, particularly the sauna.

Jeremy Tedesco, an attorney for some of the families who say the behavior is inappropriate, say the school needs to put a stop to the policy immediately.

"They're saying that their non-discrimination policy, which prohibits gender identity and gender expression discrimination, doesn't require them to leave the locker room and not come back," Tedesco told the Dori Monson Show. "It's just non-discrimination gone wild. It shows the problem with these expanding non-discrimination policies, which are very popular nowadays."

In response to complaints, the college has put up screens to shield the adults from children who use Evergreen's pool and locker room.

Installing curtains and requesting "that young girls change behind the curtains does not solve the problem," wrote David Hacker, Senior Legal Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom.

Critics say the school, police, and prosecutors are ignoring indecency laws. The college says it's following its non-discrimination policy.

Tedesco explained that a person is allowed to define whether they're protected by his gender identity, gender expression discrimination prohibition simply by declaring what they are.

"As long as they make that declaration, they have to be able to use the women's locker room at a college or anywhere in the state. I don't think that's the way these policies should work out, but that's how Evergreen is saying they're going to imply theirs."

Tedesco said they've sent a letter to the school requesting they put a stop to the policy immediately, but they have not yet had a response from Evergreen.

Stephanie Klein, MyNorthwest.com Editor, contributed to this report.

Tim Haeck, KIRO Radio Reporter
Tim Haeck is a news reporter with KIRO Radio. While Tim is one of our go-to, no-nonsense reporters, he also has a sensationally dry sense of humor and it will surprise some to learn he is a weekend warrior.
More Local News
Top Stories

  • Our Dirty Wars
    Director and investigator Jeremy Scahill is at SIFF talking about a myth surrounding Obama

  • Dollars Per Student
    Washington spending per student is below the national average

  • Coming Together
    If you came home to nothing but the concrete slab - what would you do?
MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (83)


  • Add A Comment

  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    Where are the leaders?
    November 2, 2012 2:48 pm
    I would like to know where our representatives are on this issue? They are earily silent.

    Is there defender for the rights of parents? Is there no defender anymore for morality?

    Are we seriously going to offer our children on the altar of the LGBT agenda?

    This is NOT about the rights and freedoms of a transgendered person. That is a whole separate debate in itself. It's about having a safe and protective environment for our children.

    Even if this guy is sincere (which I highly doubt after reading more on the story), he should at least be aware of the world around him enough to respect other viewpoints.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lady Vader wrote...
    I don't have anything aginst the LGBT community...
    November 2, 2012 3:36 pm
    However, until your junk has been replaced by your business... I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing a locker room, rest room, etc. with a transgendered woman who still had male genatalia and I'm 49.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • pedxing wrote...
    wow.......
    November 2, 2012 3:47 pm
    if it were my daughter in the locker room, bail would be in order..... perception is quite different than reality.... i perceive that this person believes they are female, but i can prove they are a male..... guilty as charged your honour....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Freaks, sickos, nut-jobs, perverts...
    November 2, 2012 4:02 pm
    ...all protected thanks to the left-wing nut-jobs of this country. You all should be so proud.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    comment intelligently...
    November 3, 2012 10:30 am
    or kindly shut up.

    i'm a moderate liberal and i am disgusted by the actions of the individual at Evergreen.

    yet, you extremest parrots (who are just as bad as this "Evergreen Exposer" in your extreme views just keep yapping on and on trying to make this about left vs right.

    too bad you look stupid with LIBERALS (like myself) are against this person but you go ahead and make stupid generalizations.

    you guys NEED to get a clue and then a life.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    So 3.4% is too small of a minority for their rights to matter?
    November 2, 2012 4:06 pm
    Yes. Because it comes at the expense of the other 96.6% that are NORMAL!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cash wrote...
    Another thing
    November 2, 2012 4:13 pm
    Why the heck does this dude get to be a victim and cry about his rights being trashed when he is doing the exact same thing to the vast majority? In his world (and to a few of you) feel that we should only worry about his feelings and allow him to do whatever he wants and the rest of the actual victims should not have a voice and should have to put up with whatever this dude wants to do. Sorry but that is a world I have no interest in living in... He is the one who is different and he should should be the one to suffer and live the life he has without bothering the rest of us.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Summer time wrote... Who we are is far more complex Everyone is so focused on genitals.
    November 2, 2012 4:18 pm
    What color is the sky in your world?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Hows about a new classification - TransGander.
    November 2, 2012 4:53 pm
    It's when your sense of self is best fulfilled by taking a gander at the fairer sex whenever and wherever possible.

    It's a matter of sexual identity rights. Too long have Trans - Gander people been restricted to key holes and the occasional Playboy. ... And we should NOT have to wear a dress to get into the women's locker room.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • okroxyk wrote...
    Show a little maturity!
    November 2, 2012 5:29 pm
    My heterosexual daughter recently graduated from TESC & she was quite aware ( as everyone should be if they research the school's they wish to attend)) that it is a very welcoming facility. They do not hide the fact that they are a very diverse campus open to EVERYONE (regardless of any orientation, race, or religion)as a student or faculty member. They choose to see & value the real person on the inside. The diversity turned out to be a very rewarding addition to my daughter's outstanding education. She never had a problem of any kind & in fact found everyone to be kind & accepting. Don't complain if you have NO idea what you are talking about!If you don't want to be part of the real, world don't go to Evergreen
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    @ okroxyk
    November 2, 2012 6:25 pm
    I tend to agree with you!

    It is no secret that the ECC is a cesspool of filth. A bastion of ideology gone wild!

    So with that knowledge, why would any decent, caring parent send their children there, whether to swim, or to be "educated" by their ilk?

    If they want to live their lives in such a dark and demented way, why associate yourselves with them? Find another school, and or pool!

    It is unfortunate that any amount of tax money goes to such an establishment, but that is not going to change any time soon, or possibly never.

    But we know the type that roam the halls and the stalls there. Again, it is no secret. So why the shock? It would be like sending your children to a haunted house and then complaining that the activities inside the house scared your children......... Or allowing your child to play Russian Roulette and then complaining that he/she got the bullet..........

    I cannot imagine allowing my children anywhere near that place, let alone being shocked by the "acceptance" of everything corrupt and freaky!

    You have it right okroxyk. Just not in the way you expected......

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    The Suprising Part...
    November 3, 2012 9:24 am
    ... is not that ECC allows this garbage... You're right; everyonoe with half a brain knows what a cesspool of filth that place is. p The suprising part is that the majority of WA isn't standing up against this agenda. They just keep letting it continue, getting worse and worse... all because of a well-meaning but incredibly misguided desire to be seen as open & accepting.p I ask again; Are we willing to sacrifice our children on the altar of the LGBT agenda?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    WAmoves...
    November 3, 2012 10:39 am
    i have a feeling that a lot of the pc quietness that seems to exist around the state will end with this case.

    this isn't a simple "my rights are being trampled" issue this time. this guy/girl push his/her luck WAY too far on this one. And Evergreen doesn't have a lot of legal ground to stand on.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    I sure hope so but...
    November 3, 2012 10:19 pm
    ... I'm not seeing much movement on this. MyNW sure didn't do a very complete story on it... Not even Dori and he's a conservative.

    No, I think this will be swept under the rug so as not to endanger the LGBT momentum... unless enough people will stand up and say "enough is enough"!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    methinks...
    November 3, 2012 10:35 am
    you FAIL to see the actual issue here, okrox...

    Evergreen can be as welcoming as they want to be. the problem is when does ONE person's rights end and OUR rights begin?

    my feeling are when that person, who might "identify as a woman" walks around naked with a MAN'S BODY in front of girls of a wide variety of ages and also saunas in front of then nude as well.

    there's a certain degree of privacy that should be expected in the WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM and SAUNA. that privacy is being trampled in the name of political correctness. and i'm betting that Evergreen will be on the losing end of this one.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    Man
    November 2, 2012 7:29 pm
    I would have went to jail if that was my kid. I have an idea, let's just pay the price for an extra bathroom for all the LGBT community. I don't walk around with my own junk hanging out around my own darn kids and they are boys, why would I want some hairy bootied man walking around butt naked around my daughter and the nerve of this guy to feel like he is being descriminated against. Stop the madness please.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }