Security was ramped up at Santee Education Complex in South Los Angeles Wednesday, one day after some students clashed with protesters who rallied outside the campus to protest the recent opening of a gender- neutral bathroom on the campus.
The confrontation was caught on cell phone video that made its rounds on social media Tuesday afternoon, and raised concerns of another possible dispute Wednesday.
But despite rumors that another protest would be held, the only people who showed up were supporters of the students and the gender-neutral bathroom. They waved rainbow flags and held signs of support.
School police had a visible presence on and around the campus in response to the Tuesday protest.
“We will have extra police officers,” principal Martin Gomez said before classes began Wednesday. “Teachers will go over a PowerPoint presentation with students to explain the situation and to encourage positive behavior. We will also have extra counselors on hand.”
The school made history last week when it dedicated a 15-stall gender- neutral bathroom, becoming the first Los Angeles-area school — and possibly the first in the state — to have such a facility. The move was aimed at providing comfort to transgender students and preventing them from facing possible bullying from students in bathrooms designated only for “boys” or “girls.”
The bathroom was the result of a campaign by the school’s Gay Straight Alliance, which collected hundreds of petition signatures in support of the idea.
Some students told reporters Wednesday they were surprised by the Tuesday afternoon protest, notably because the protesters were adults, some of whom shouted that students should “go to hell.”
“It’s just a bathroom, honestly,” student Sasha Phillips told reporters. “People want to be comfortable when they go pee because of being harassed by other students, because that’s something that does happen on campus sometimes.”
— City News Service