In a Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) board meeting on Jan. 13 students and parents gathered to discuss transgender athletes’ participation in sports and access to shared spaces. Public comments reflected a range of opinions, including concerns over fairness in girls’ sports, privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms, and the inclusion of transgender students.

The discussion is not new to the district; board trustee Kenney Enney has repeatedly advocated for policies addressing transgender participation in athletics and facility access. Enney explained his position is motivated by concerns over fairness, privacy, and student well-being, rather than personal opposition to transgender students. 

“What I want right now is a safe environment, not only for girls, but also for the students that identify as transgender,” Enney said, “What I’m pushing for right now is to solve the problem for the short term, potentially the long term—bring in bathroom trailers or redesign the bathroom so everything is an individual stall.”

Enney explained that such measures could protect student privacy while minimizing conflict until courts provide clearer guidance. California law currently allows students to participate in school programs and use facilities consistent with their gender identity.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Jan. 13, in two cases, Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. challenging state laws that bar transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams. The justices considered whether the bans violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment, which prohibits unjustified discrimination and Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded schools. 

Attorneys debated whether states may classify athletes by sex assigned at birth in the name of fairness, or if such policies unlawfully discriminate against transgender students. Several justices expressed concern about how to define sex under federal law, signaling uncertainty about how broadly any ruling may apply. A decision, expected later this year, could shape transgender students’ rights nationwide. 

Along with Enney, concerns regarding fairness in girls’ sports were raised by several students. Varsity tennis player and freshman Addie Long explained physical differences between males and females create an uneven playing field. 

“It’s not just about size. Males generally have more testosterone, which gives them strength advantages, especially during teenage years,” Long said

Because of biological differences, freshman Chloe Breese expressed concern that transgender women having the strength advantage can pose harm to cisgender women in physical contact sports. The term cisgender refers to people whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth.

At the same time, senior Ru Schulte, a cisgender ally, explained fears surrounding transgender athletes are rooted in transphobic propaganda. She feels that the narrative that athletes transition for a competitive edge is untrue and that harm in sports is inevitable, regardless of sex.

“Thinking that someone who’s born male is inherently more physically able than someone who’s born female is a little bit misogynistic,” Schulte said.

Varsity tennis player and transgender athlete Alex Tashma, believes assumptions about physical dominance do not reflect her experience. She explained that she is only five feet and five inches and 110 pounds, which in her opinion, is no actual advantage.

“I really think what’s helping me win is experience and what I have in my toolkit. I’ve learned a lot of things that my other teammates haven’t. I’ve had extra time with my coaches and I go to every practice,” Tashma said.

The conversation expands beyond the PRJUSD. In May 2025, then-junior AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School in Jurupa Valley, CA, competed in CIF Southern Section Division 3 Girls Track and Field championship. Hernandez won first place medals in both high and triple jump; she placed second i

n the long jump event, drawing national attention (CBS News). 

President Donald Trump publicly called for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Following threats to cut federal funding to California, state officials adjusted rules to allow displaced cisgender athletes to receive the medals they would have earned if a trans person weren’t to compete, according to an article on edsource.org.

Separate from athletics, many speakers during the board meeting focused on access to bathrooms and locker rooms, describing them as private and vulnerable spaces.

“I saw a [transgender student] go into the girls’ bathroom, and it made me so uncomfortable that I walked out without using it,” Breese said, “Those are private spaces, and they’re separated for a reason.”

Long described similar discomfort during team activities. She explained her privacy wasn’t protected, limiting her usage of shared spaces.

“There’s the emotional trauma that these girls have of knowing that a boy [is in the locker room]… now [female students] have to undress in front of him, and that causes psychological damage from post traumatic stress disorder,” Enney said. 

Students advocating for transgender inclusion argued those concerns are rooted in fear rather than harm. Senior Aster Watson explained restrictions on restroom access disrupt daily life. He expressed that he is only there to use the restroom and not to harm others.

Watson shared that experiences like these expand beyond shared spaces, “I hold fear for my safety on campus for reasons that are based on experience and fact, not assumptions of what might happen,” Watson shared in the Jan. 13 board meeting.

Liz Tashma, a special education advocate and mother of transgender student, A. Tashma, felt public rhetoric surrounding bathrooms has been damaging,

“When people call transgender students perverts or abominations, it’s devastating. They’re talking about real kids with real dreams,” she said.

In response to the public discussion, PRJUSD board trustees agreed to bring the issue back at a future meeting as an informational item rather than immediate policy action. Trustee Joel Peterson said the topic has reached a tipping point in the community and emphasized the need for continued dialogue. 

Trustee Leo Castillo voiced concerns about student safety overall, stressing that any solution should protect all students regardless of identity. Trustee Jim Cogan underscored the importance of allowing students on all sides to feel heard and respected when speaking before the board. 

Superintendent Jennifer Loftus reiterated that district policies are guided by California law, which allows students to participate in programs and use facilities consistent with their gender identity.

“At the end of the day, every student gets to decide which they want to use,” Loftus concluded. (Paso Robles Press)