Washington
CNN
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Quite a lot of Minnesota public faculty districts say they don’t present tampons in boys’ loos — debunking a declare former President Donald Trump has been making about Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate.
Trump has asserted that Walz signed a legislation that forces Minnesota faculties to supply free tampons in boys’ loos, suggesting this supposed coverage is proof of Walz’s radicalism on gender points.
Trump stated at an August 9 marketing campaign rally in Montana: “He ordered tampons to be put into boys’ loos. Do we now have any youngsters right here? Please shut your ears. He ordered tampons in boys’ loos.” Trump stated at his Thursday press convention: “He signed a invoice that boys’ loos — all boys’ loos in Minnesota — can have tampons.”
Info First: Trump’s claims are false.
Walz didn’t order Minnesota faculties to place tampons in boys’ loos or signal a invoice requiring tampons to be put in all boys’ loos. That’s not what the invoice signed by Walz in 2023 really says — and it’s not how the 15 Minnesota faculty districts that spoke to CNN on Friday say they’ve applied the legislation.
The legislation, meant to verify college students of all revenue ranges and gender identities have prepared entry to menstrual merchandise, says faculty districts and constitution faculties should make menstrual merchandise like tampons and pads obtainable for gratis “to all menstruating college students in restrooms usually utilized by college students in grades 4 to 12 in accordance with a plan developed by the college district.”
The legislation by no means specifies that the menstrual merchandise have to be put in “boys’ loos,” and it permits faculty districts to resolve what counts as a toilet “usually utilized by college students.” Districts are permitted to supply menstrual merchandise in loos for college students of any gender, which are sometimes single-stall rooms, fairly than of their conventional multi-stall loos for boys.
All 15 of the districts that responded Friday to a CNN survey of 25 districts, together with the Minneapolis and St. Paul districts within the state’s two most populous cities, stated they adjust to the legislation with out offering tampons in conventional boys’ loos.
Kevin Burns, a spokesperson for Mankato Space Public Faculties, the district the place Walz was a highschool trainer earlier than coming into politics, instructed CNN that faculties there are satisfying “the letter and intent of the statute,” which Burns referred to as “very clear,” by offering menstrual merchandise in “conventional feminine and gender-neutral restrooms” in addition to faculty nurses’ workplaces, not boys’ loos.
“St. Cloud Space Faculties gives free interval merchandise in female-only restrooms, designated gender-neutral restrooms, and from faculty health-care workplaces. Interval merchandise will not be offered in male-only designated restrooms,” stated Tami DeLand, a spokesperson for that district in central Minnesota.
“We’ve offered free tampons and pads to all in ‘nongendered’ scholar restrooms and ladies’ restrooms for grades 4 and up. They’re additionally obtainable from well being staffers. We should not have menstrual merchandise in boys’ loos,” stated Toya Stewart Downey, a spokesperson for the Robbinsdale district within the suburbs of Minneapolis.
“The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Faculties gives menstrual merchandise in ladies’ loos and gender-neutral loos, not boys’ loos,” stated Tony Taschner, a spokesperson for the Twin Cities-area suburban district. “If we’re conscious of transgender college students who want menstrual merchandise and use the boys’ loos, faculty employees would work with these college students individually on a case-by-case foundation.”
Scott Croonquist, govt director of Minnesota’s Affiliation of Metropolitan Faculty Districts, which says its 52 member districts educate greater than half of public faculty college students within the state, stated Friday: “Our interpretation of the legislation is identical as what you’ve gotten heard from the folks you’ve gotten talked to in class districts. The legislation does NOT require menstrual merchandise in boys’ loos.”
It’s definitely attainable that some Minnesota faculties do present tampons in conventional multi-stall boys’ loos; the state has greater than 300 faculty districts in all, and CNN communicated with a small fraction of them this week. However Trump’s declare is that Walz signed a legislation that requires all Minnesota faculties to supply tampons of their boys’ loos — and that’s clearly flawed.
Jim Skelly, spokesperson for the massive Anoka-Hennepin faculty district, stated, “menstrual merchandise will not be offered in male-gendered loos in our faculty district.” As an alternative, he stated, its faculties present the merchandise “in alignment with the state legislation in single-stall, all-gender loos and in female-gendered loos on the center faculty and highschool stage. These merchandise are additionally obtainable from well being professionals within the constructing in any respect ranges.”
“Simply as with Anoka-Hennepin, the free merchandise will not be present in conventional male-only loos in Osseo Space Faculties,” stated a spokesperson for the Osseo Space district close to Minneapolis, Clay Sawatzke, stated on Friday. “However they’re offered free to all in ladies’ loos and in single stall/common loos.”
“Rochester Public Faculties is absolutely compliant with MN Statute 121A.212. Free menstrual merchandise are offered in our gender impartial and ladies’ loos, or obtainable from well being employees,” stated a spokesperson for that district within the state’s third-most-populous metropolis.
“Minneapolis Public Faculties bought and put in menstrual product dispensers in all assigned feminine loos and close to all gender-neutral loos,” stated district spokesperson Donnie Belcher.
“Free menstrual merchandise can be found in ladies’ loos, non-gendered loos and in class well being workplaces,” stated Amy Parnell, spokesperson for the Wayzata Public Faculties suburban district close to Minneapolis.
St. Paul Public Faculties spokesperson Erica Wacker stated, “Areas for dispensers and receptacles for pads and tampons embrace non-gendered single stall bogs, comparable to in major workplaces; bogs within the well being workplaces; group bogs for women; and one-third of the person rest room rooms in buildings which have inclusive restrooms.”
This story has been up to date with responses from further faculty districts.