Parent tells board district didn’t protect girls from alleged restroom violations

A Gardner–Edgerton parent accused district leadership on Jan. 12 of failing to protect female students after she said a male student used female restrooms at the high school from August through December 2025.

Carrie Schmidt told the board she had previously asked the superintendent whether a male had been using female restrooms and that his written response suggested such conduct would be a policy violation handled through disciplinary process. Schmidt read a principal’s September 2025 email describing a separate bus incident with a confirmed toy gun and said that timeline and the superintendent’s email responses appear inconsistent.

Schmidt criticized district communications and said parents were not notified: “You don’t have a clue who all was violated because you don’t have video footage from the entire first semester,” she said, and added, “You need to make female bathrooms and locker rooms safe in this district.” She also accused leadership of secrecy and minimizing safety concerns.

Board members did not take immediate formal action during the public comment period. The superintendent’s prior email responses were referenced by Schmidt as evidence of the district’s handling; no on‑the‑record rebuttal or new investigation outcome was presented during the meeting. Schmidt’s remarks closed without a specific board directive recorded in the transcript.

The board may choose to follow up through staff reports or an investigation; the transcript records the allegation and the parent’s request for clearer communication and protections but does not include a staff response or disciplinary record that would confirm or refute the claim.