A newly obtained email shows a biological male was indeed allowed in the girls’ locker room at a Kansas City-area high school, vindicating a parent who was determined to expose the truth.
For nearly a month, Carrie Schmidt had repeatedly pressed district officials to either confirm or deny the rumored incident, which is believed to have spanned multiple occasions between the beginning of school in August of last year into that November.
Until now, the district had deflected her questions, and declined to answer any and all questions from The Heartlander.
But on Monday, Schmidt sent The Heartlander an internal Gardner Edgerton Unified School District 231 email she obtained through a Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) request that certainly confirms the incident.
Allowing a biological male into female spaces is now against state law, presidential fiat and even district policies.
“Be ready to discuss the trans girl in the girls locker room situation for the Exec Session for personnel on Monday,” reads the Dec. 5, 2024, email from district Superintendent Brian Huff, sent to multiple district officials and addressed to Heather Peeke, executive director of Secondary Education.
“The focus needs to be on adjustments we have made to avoid this happening in the future,” the email continues. “I do not foresee this being a big issue since there was a good outcome with a solid plan to avoid a repeat.”
The irony is, it might not have been a big deal if the district hadn’t tried to keep it secret for so long.
“It is disturbing the lengths Dr. Huff will go to hide information from a parent whom this situation directly impacts since I have a daughter in high school,” Schmidt said Monday in a statement to The Heartlander.
“I should not have had to make a KORA request to get my question answered. Clearly, he thought if he dismissed me enough I would give up asking him about a male using the female locker room.”
Nor does Schmidt consider the matter closed – and said she planned to speak at the school board meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at the Board of Education Office, 231 E Madison St. in Gardner.
“After reading his email I now want to know what the ‘good outcome’ was, as well as their ‘solid plan to avoid a repeat.’ To say I am disappointed in the leadership in our district is an understatement.”
