STUDENT: Family needed to know

On Monday, Jan. 11, I went to a rally at Coeur d’Alene Schools Administration Building where I heard the grandmother Janice speak about her granddaughter allegedly being told it was OK to be a boy by the school counselor, Megan Franklin; about being a boy at age 11, a fifth-grader?

There are only two genders, a boy or a girl.

I’m so glad the little girl is no longer in school and is now being homeschooled.

Why can a Coeur d’Alene counselor tell an 11-year-old that it’s OK to be a boy when she’s a girl instead of contacting her parents to recommend a professional counselor who handles these kinds of issues? Does our school board allow this?

The grandmother was saying how the little girl’s father died four years ago and he was a military veteran who gave up his life for you and America.

Again, the counselor should have discussed this with the family so the family could figure out some options. Yes or no?

About 75 people showed up for the rally. I suggest the Kootenai County legislators check this issue out with the School Board.

How does the superintendent, Dr. Steven Cook feel about this? I’m asking him to share his views at countywide meetings.

Since we moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2009, I spent five years helping first-graders at Dalton and Fernan elementary schools in their reading program. It was satisfying.

LES WIGEN

Coeur d’Alene

Editor’s note: It is not an established fact that the counselor told the student anything was OK or not OK. The counselor’s role was to listen, which she did.