A prestigious all-girls school in Nashville recently introduced a new policy that allows transgender females to enrol.
In a statement sent to parents on Tuesday, Harpeth Hall said that the school respects gender identification and welcomes applications from students who identify as girls.
Reese Witherspoon and Amy Grant both attended the $33,000-per-year Tennessee prep school, which insists there has been “no change” to the admissions procedure, which is “open to any female student.”
The school emphasised that the new policy provides a secure area for pupils to explore their gender identification and that its atmosphere is focused on women.
The restriction was implemented one month after a new state legislation went into effect that imposes severe fines on public schools that let trans athletes to play women’s sports.
Despite the fact that Harpeth Hall is a private school and is thus not necessarily subject to the recently passed statute, the letter did not address trans pupils participating in its sports.
The institution’s dedication to establishing a “inclusive educational environment” is underscored, according to the school, by its decision to open enrolment to all individuals who identify as female.
“Our kids change as the world does,” The letter to parents said, “The idea of gender has evolved and developed over time.
The discussion of gender in culture is developing quickly.
At Harpeth Hall, we strive every day to live completely and genuinely into our purpose, which is inspired and directed by our girls school mission.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Board of Trustees, faculty, and school administration collaborated to better understand gender identity before developing the new policy.
Before choosing to change its admissions criteria, the team sought advice from subject matter experts, reviewed scholarly publications on the subject, and met with representatives from other all-girls institutions.
Brief admissions rules were offered in the letter to parents, but the statement stressed an individual basis for enrollment choices and utilised open-ended wording.
The letter said that Harpeth Hall was a girls’ school. The school’s culture is different and notably focused on females, as seen by the usage of the pronouns “we” and “her” and allusions to pupils as girls and young women.
The statement continued by saying that students enrol at the institution because its goal and surroundings are appealing to them.
According to the school, issues involving nonbinary kids or those who use they/them pronouns will be handled individually.
Harpeth Hall would collaborate with specific families to suit the needs of the pupils.
A male trans student who uses the pronouns “he” or “him” cannot be “served” by an all-girls school, according to the rules.
To decide on the best course of action, the institution would consult with those families personally.
Regarding male transgender pupils at the school, the statement said, “We see this acknowledgement as the highest level of respect: an awareness that we support the person and the student’s gender identification.”
The statement from Harpeth Hall, according to Jessica Bliss, director of marketing and communications, “does not represent a change in admissions policy.”
We have always been an all-girls autonomous school, according to Bliss.
“Harpeth Hall’s entrance application procedure, which is accessible to any female student, has not changed,” the statement reads.
She said that the rule gives pupils a secure setting in which to express themselves.
Girls are taught to respect one another and value their differences, according to Bliss.
Every female is distinctive in some way. Harpeth Hall cultivates a sense of belonging and goodwill in its community.
Online, there was a range of reactions to the policy’s announcement; some Tennesseans expressed horror, while others supported the school’s assertion that it supports all women.
I cherish my transgender friends at Harpeth Hall. Always put your paw down, tweeted pupil Chloe. Transgender women are young women.
They should get an education on par with the rest of us Harpeth Hall women. Having them there gives me a lot of power.
“Harpeth Hall has gone crazy.” Accepting males who self-identify as females? Lara Moses Whitaker, a local of Brentwood, made a post on Facebook.
God, now that Tennessee is being awake,
Clay Travis, the presenter of a radio programme, seems to have posted a critical message about the policy, as Kathy Pence Suddath noted in a tweet.
Harpeth Hall alumna Rachel Dean said on the Twitter thread, “I am pleased to say I went to harpeth hall.” This discussion disgusts me; there is so much animosity!
I’m a proud Harpeth Hall graduate,” Melissa H. repeated. I’m curious as to who this loser is and why he thinks what he thinks about HH matters.
Jess Hill, the head of school, has not yet responded to the policy, but in an open letter posted on the institution’s website, she advocates for building a school environment that “encourages academic curiosity, fosters belonging, and prepares girls to become purposeful young women ready to make a meaningful difference in the world around them.”
Girls learn to value the strength of their voices and to have confidence in their ideas at Harpeth Hall, she wrote.
They also pick up the skill of listening for comprehension and learning. All of the pupils are respected, seen, and heard here.
We value progress above perfection, not the other way around. We encourage kids to take calculated chances since that is how we all learn best, even if they fail.
We are aware that developing resilience and confidence go hand in hand with developing leadership skills for both oneself and others.
A new state rule that forbids transgender athletes from participating in girl’s sports went into effect last month.
The legislation, which Republican Governor Bill Lee signed into law, added severe penalties for public schools that disobey the prohibition and took effect on July 1.
Given that the school made no mention of it in its letter, it is unknown whether Harpeth Hall would let trans athletes to participate on its sports teams.
Additionally, Tennessee passed a law that would bar trans women from participating in collegiate sports teams that reflect their gender identification.