One week after President Trump’s executive order for the federal government to recognize two sexes, Woodland Park’s school district is following suit.

During their regular meeting Wednesday night, Woodland Park RE-2’s Board of Education voted on a resolution “recognizing only two sexes and rejecting gender ideology.”

The decision comes just over a week after Trump signed “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which requires that the federal government use the term “sex” instead of “gender,” and directs the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to issue identification documents that reflect the individual’s sex.

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The board resolution echoes many of the proclamations as the executive order like the acknowledgment of only the two sexes and that gender identity is separate from biological reality. It also includes distinct separation for the two sexes regarding restroom and locker room use and athletic competition.

Its language also specified that it was a result of the recently signed executive order, that the board was using its state-mandated local control in public education and that not doing so would risk potentially losing federal funding as a result of the order.

Earlier in the day, the Trump administration signed a similar executive order entitled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” which includes ending federal funding “for illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools, including based on gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology.”

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During a brief discussion, board secretary David Rusterholtz said he believed that the resolution was consistent with other ones passed regarding “social agendas” and they wanted it to reflect scientific fact.

“We need to teach our kids the truth. It doesn’t mean we’re going to accept any kind of bullying,” he said. “This is a culture war, and the war has been against the truth, and I’m proud to say that we need to stand for our kids.”

Board director Keegan Barkley said she had “many, many issues” with the resolution and asked other board members why this was taking precedence over other issues in the district.

She specifically pointed to inadequate heating, the use of outbuildings, waterline breaks and leaking roofs throughout the district’s buildings. She added that she proposed a discussion item on education programs for the meeting that was rejected due to time constraints.

“Why do we keep focusing on these nonsense issues instead of focusing on things that will actually help our students and our schools?” she asked the other board members.

The motion would go on to pass 4-1, with Barkley being the only dissenting vote. 

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