On Monday Oct. 17 about 50 Culver School District sixth-graders were pulled from Camp Tamarack’s Outdoor School program, a three-day and two-night camp that blends school curriculum with outdoor activities that over 40 schools participate in. Camp Tamarack staff said they weren’t aware the students were leaving until the buses arrived and didn’t learn why the students left until CSD Superintendent Stefanie Garber issued a letter to parents the next day.
The letter detailed how some students told teachers they were uncomfortable bunking and changing clothes in a cabin with nonbinary student volunteers, though Tamarack does have changing rooms, private bathrooms and a shower house where students change in private. Nonbinary people identify as being outside of the binary gender spectrum and may identify as both female and male, neither female nor male, and may or may not identify as transgender.
Camp Tamarack states that it is inclusive of LGBTQ+ students and its equity, diversity and inclusion policies on its website affirm students’ right to self-identify autonomously, use the facilities matching their gender identity and that nonbinary students are placed in cabins according to their friend group, or are assigned by their school counselor or guardian.
“At Camp Tamarack, it is our ongoing mission to ensure that Outdoor School is a safe place to work, volunteer and send children, regardless of an individual’s race, religion, sex, color, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Charlie Anderson, executive director of Camp Tamarack in an emailed response. “In order to ensure everyone’s safety, we follow the rules laid forth by the Oregon Department of Education.”
A social media post from Tamarack employees said many kids were upset to depart, with some chanting “let us stay” before leaving. The post also said the camp’s social media platforms and Google reviews were flooded with anti-trans and anti-nonbinary comments. Anderson said they’ve reported a large number of the posts and that most of them have since been removed. Garber says she’s been called a bigot for purportedly not supporting the camp counselors, but claims her actions supported both counselors and Culver students.
She said she made the decision to pull kids from the camp after several male students expressed discomfort about the counselors to their teachers, which then filtered up to the Culver Middle School principal and finally her.
“There were boys that were very uncomfortable that their counselor appeared to be a female but identified as nonbinary. It was my understanding that it was more than one cabin. Given the circumstances I consulted with a couple other administrators, and it seemed like a no-win situation,” Garber said.
Garber said she felt rearranging camping accommodations would unfairly single out the nonbinary camp counselors, and that she didn’t want Culver students to remain in a situation they felt was uncomfortable. Garber said it was a difficult decision to make and one she doesn’t take lightly.
“It just seemed best to retreat. I lost sleep over the decision. It was not easy. And Culver school district fully supports our own LGBTQ community, and we support the heterosexual community. It’s a delicate balance for schools,” Garber said. “The parents trust us to take care of their kids, no matter how they identify. And so, if the students were uncomfortable enough, multiple of them, to go to the teacher, we have to listen. Even if it was one student, you’d have to listen, but it was multiple.”
Both Garber and Camp Tamarack have accused the other of poor communication throughout the process. Garber’s letter says they erred on the side of caution but would’ve continued if they’d known beforehand that a counselor was nonbinary, allowing them to coordinate cabin placement with Culver students. Anderson said that type of arrangement wouldn’t be possible, and that he wished Culver staff told camp staff that they were leaving.
“Our communications are not allowed to include the sexual orientation or gender identity of any of the kids, campers or student leaders at camp. We have been working with Culver since 2015 and the communication this year has been no different than in years past,” Anderson wrote. “Though the superintendent apologized to us for her gap in communication, we feel that was a missed opportunity for meaningful communication and solutions.”
The Oregon Department of Education Communications Director Marc Siegel told the Madras Pioneer that districts are encouraged to consider cisgender student discomfort or lack of understanding with the increased harm and safety needs of gender noncomforming students, but couldn’t say if a violation occurred.
“Accommodations can be made for those students that feel uncomfortable, and a student should not be forced to stay in a situation where they are uncomfortable,” Siegel told the Madras Pioneer. “But that individual support plan cannot create a discriminatory environment for other students either, and cannot infringe on the rights of others to experience nondiscrimination.”
Other school districts are revising their outdoor school curriculum as well. Buff Elementary in Jefferson County told parents of fifth-graders they’d be taking day trips to the camp but will not be spending the night. The public information officer of Jefferson School District didn’t respond to a request for comment.
This article appears in Source Weekly October 27, 2022.
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Disgusting. Republicans have ruined America.
What a sad example to set for the kids. There will be discomfort in life. Period. Tolerance and acceptance of others, even (or especially) when they are different, are two of the most important skills that children should learn. Another generation of judgmental, close minded Americans in the making.
Sounds like communication and tolerance were missing in this cluster.
Gender fluidity is the new normal and it’s really not new just more open. What’s new is the vulnerability by visibility that everyone feels but haven’t quite learned how to navigate. Sad for all involved.
Reflexive pull out because students were uncomfortable doesn’t happen in other uncomfortable situations that occur in school (someone’s better, smarter, wealthier, more athletic, more popular etc) only when gender issues are causative.
Why? Because gender fluidity scares some people. People who are intolerant, ignorant, bigoted, latently burying their own gender issues… The reasons go on and on. Easier to accept that humans are all unique, of equal worth, and potential contributors to society.
Fear because of ignorance is normal but not acceptable in this context.
Gender fluidity is not the new norm, its being pushed and should not be forced on kids. Life is confusing enough as a kid, how about we just let kids be kids without all the extra bs in the world. People need to do and be what makes them happy but it shouldn’t be a forced acceptance. Disgusting. Socialistic Democrats and Republicans alike have ruined America.
I am outraged. I brought my children up in the 509J district. I am not surprised.
Consider the damage done to the students on that bus. Fear and hate confirmed by the administration. There is a civil rights lawsuit here. Somebody please take it. Make these bigots responsible!
I applaud the school’s decision to support the students and recognize their concerns. This is about more than acceptance or tolerance, it’s also about remembering that children have the right to be heard and made to feel understood and supported. That should be mandatory, always.
This reminds me of the story of Chicken Little racing around warning everyone the sky was falling. Once again we need to be reminded that hate and intolerance are taught at home. Therein lies the real injustice.
I am all about tolerance, acceptance and being who you are and to be proud of whom you are no matter your sexual identity, your race, ethnicity, color or background. We are all human. However, I am also about a child feeling comfortable in a sleeping arrangement away from home and or undressing in front of others etc.. It also saddens me that people think this is a political issue from above comments. We just need some common sense values in place here. I do believe under no circumstances should a child be placed in a sleep away situation where there is confusion and a discomfort. Sleeping away from home and undressing in front of others puts a child in a very vulnerable situation. Second young children most likely may not even understand the concept of gender fluidity. So my question is why should they have to be dealing with identity concepts at a sleep away camp? Why is the camp councilors identity even being shared? This should not be a part of the camping experience. Young children should not be placed in a situation that causes confusion for them while away from home. Or , the parents should have been made aware of the situation going to the camp and have a choice of whether they want to send them or not.
@Nicole Perullo There are private changing areas, so there wouldn’t be any undressing in front of camp councilors.
Lets just cut to the chase, good for Culver for making a stand !! one comment was Republicans are ruining everything? Republicans dont even run Oregon, pathetic woke liberals run Oregon, and our school boards and even the city Council !! It is Absolutely the opposite! Im so sick of this deflection!! its The liberal Democrats that are pushing this narrative that not everybody accepts, and if you dont youre canceled !! this is not normal behavior!! Fluid this fluid that, Trans this trans that, kindergarten through third grade having drag shows, sexual exploitation books in elementary schools for our children is now the new norm? Are you sick in the head? do you have mental problems? these are children that this garbage is being pushed on, it needs to stop!! I will never ever agree with this progressive liberal push of society where people cant figure out what gender they are, and the people that cant is such a small percentage in America, Its like .0001%.
I have no idea why they are being presented as a mass amount of the population!! They are not!! This needs to stop, knock it off for God sakes, Get some help, quit messing with childrens minds.
Like MAP? (minor attracted people) we cant call them pedophiles anymore? This is supposed to be normal to allow adults to molest children? We are turning into a sick society, at least the Republicans focus on God, family country, as far as Im concerned anybody that hurts a child or tries to manipulate a childs mind with sexual sick behavior needs to be locked up in a mental institution or prison. We dont need our children to grow up to be confused by a bunch of adults that are confused about who they are and their identity, Teach them reading writing arithmetic, let them be children, teach them that everybody is equal in Gods eyes, people are not judge by their skin color, stop telling the kids they need to be ashamed of themselves because of their skin color, Especially if they are white, or if your another color youre oppressed! Stop shoving sick sexuality down their throats!! theres two genders, male and female according to God, that alone settles the argument!!
fmarcos…you’ve shown us who you are. An intolerant religious freak who wants to put your religion and beliefs on us all. America was founded on a SEPARATION of Church and State.
Miss Bend, that’s another lie, Do your homework I’m not a religious freak I have common sense, I am a parent and a grandparent so stop your liberal hogwash, The country was not founded on separation of church and state, it was founded on Judeo-Christianity do your homework, talk about being intolerant, liberals are the most intolerant people I know, I don’t care if your feelings are hurt or not that’s my opinion!!
@Jack Harvel Thank you Jack, but this does not make the situation any better. You are still sleeping in a room feeling uncomfortable because you have no context as a child regarding a councilor’s gender fluidity and sleeping is your most vulnerable time. These children are here to detach from the everyday and connect to nature and teenage camp councilors who are actually still figuring out who they are should not be having discussions with young children about gender fluidity during a sleep away camp. This would be very confusing for a child. These councilors are not adults and nor are they the authority of gender fluidity as they are still figuring things out. I support the schools decision. And this report is from your perspective, you actually don’t know the conversations these said teenage councilors had with the children or how much they shared. I read from a different report that the councilor discussed when he would have his penis removed to complete his transition, so this is completely inappropriate. I don’t know if this is true or not but these conversations are not appropriate for a connection to nature sleep away camp. And when a child says they are uncomfortable, we need to listen. This means they are not ready to understand concepts at their age and nor should they be forced to. These are discussion that parents should be having with their child, not a camp councilor.
@Nicole Perullo I’m not trying to invalidate your feelings on what happened or to advocate for either side, I just don’t want an untrue narrative about changing in front of camp councilors to spread. And I wouldn’t say the article is from my perspective per se, I’m the author so there’s some truth to that but I tried to accurately report both sides grievances.
Fair enough. I respect that. Thank you for clarifying but my three kids have gone to that camp both with school and for summer and they do change in cabins. I just think it is a situation where there needs to be clear boundaries especially when sexuality and young children are involved. It really is not the camp counselors place to discuss gender fluidly with children who don’t have context. And perhaps if they are not clear on gender roles the camp councilors would be better positioned in a different role that would not cause sleeping arrangement confusion or at the very least give a heads up to parents and school. Camping in nature should be just about camping in nature and not bringing mature subject matter into the mix.