School students walk out of lessons in protest over trans toilet rule

“Kids were upset. Girls… we wanted to protect them,” John Ott, who organized the walkout, told FOX News on Monday.

“They were upset. They didn't want men in their bathroom.”

Mother Stephanie also accused the district of only protecting transgender students and not looking at the “whole picture”.

She added: “The safety of females is so important and these students that stood out that walked out, they are to be commended.

“They have courage and they exercise their First Amendment rights.

“This is about protecting our children and our privacy and boys and girls. It's simple biology.”

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Local father Tim Jagger proposed the policy after his daughter allegedly encountered a transgender student in the bathroom.

But Jagger and his daughter were unable to confirm if the person was a biological male.

Another Perkiomen Valley student Victoria Rudolph claimed allowing biological males to enter women’s restrooms also makes her uncomfortable and urged staff to enact measures to protect girls.

She said: “There needs to be some changes. It's just uncomfortable seeing, 19-year-old men or 18-year-old men in the bathroom.”

The protest was staged after board members voted against the bathroom ban last Monday.

Superintendent Dr Barbara Russell defended rejecting the policy amid concerns it could contravene Policy 103, an anti-discrimination code which cites gender identity as a protected class.

Responding to the incident, the Perkiomen Valley School board’s president Jason Saylor said: “Although I voted differently than the majority of the board, as board president, I respect the outcome of the vote and those who voted against expediting the policy.

“I also appreciate our student body, those who came to our previous board meeting to vote, and the 300+ students who used their First Amendment right to voice their opinion in favour of the policy during their protest on Friday.”