The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned as “deeply offensive, outrageous and unacceptable” remarks made by Delta School Board Member Kathy Svenson.  Svenson recently stated at a School Board meeting that she believed transgender children would need to be “castrated” in order to use school bathrooms and participate in school activities that fit their gender identity.

Scott L. Levin, ADL Mountain States Regional Director, issued the following statement:

“Delta School Board Member Kathy Svenson’s recent statements about transgender students are deeply offensive, outrageous and unacceptable. In Colorado, transgender people are expressly allowed to access public or workplace restrooms designated for the gender that matches their self-identification.  Schools cannot ignore the rights of transgender students. Colorado’s transgender youth deserve the opportunity to thrive in school no less than their peers.  Their full participation in all aspects of school life, from the classroom to the restroom, will also help to create a climate of acceptance among their classmates, and decrease the incidence of bullying against them. Ms. Svenson’s advocacy to violate Colorado law is not only unbecoming of an elected official, it is deeply harmful to Delta’s students.”