Summary: This petition advocates for children at Hoover Elementary School in Palo Alto to have BOTH Gender Separated Boys and Girls AND Gender Neutral restrooms for true equity and inclusion. Defying our societal norms and ONLY offering a Gender Neutral restroom creates a non-inclusive, unsafe and unhygienic environment that is insensitive to the religious and cultural needs of a historically diverse Hoover community.

A. Why Sign this Petition and Add Comments Now

Together we are advocating for inclusion, safety, and respect for current and future Hoover generations.  We have a small window to share feedback with PAUSD Board, PAUSD Facilities Committee and the Hoover Elementary School Administration to influence this decision.  Let's ensure Hoover Elementary School parents, children and the community voices are heard through this survey and other channels of communication.

B. Who Is Impacted: Hoover Elementary School Children

Over the last year and half, Hoover Elementary has been operating on Greendell campus.  Many families have been unhappy that there are no Gender Separated Boys and Girls restrooms.  Parents and children are eagerly awaiting the new Hoover building so that children will have access to this.  Many children have been suffering; they are not comfortable and experience unhygienic conditions with urine on toilet seats. They avoid using the restrooms at school, which is a serious health issue.

We recently learned that PAUSD has planned for Hoover’s new building to offer only Gender Neutral restrooms. They are not planning to offer Gender Separated Boys & Girls restrooms. 

C. What Is At Stake:  Comfort, Safety, Hygiene, Health and Inclusivity of Children who prefer Gender Separated Boys & Girls restrooms

Children and families who prefer Gender Separated Boys & Girls restrooms have the right to the following: 

1. Safety & Security: Children need to be allocated a safe space at school and feel safe in that space. Restrooms are a haven of safety to cry in and handle emotions in the school environment.  The reality is Gender Neutral restrooms do not feel safe for all children.
2. Privacy:  Children have the right to privacy when going to the bathroom without risk that a member of the opposite sex nearby is observing them or touching them.
3. Comfort: Children have the right to comfort, which means avoiding anxiety or embarrassment from interacting with the opposite gender when using the restroom.  When girls and boys are going through puberty, it is critical that they have separate spaces they feel comfortable in for restroom, health, and grooming activities.  Some 5th grade girls get their periods and they need to feel comfortable that they can manage it in the restroom.  When girls and boys are going through puberty, it is critical that they have separate spaces they feel comfortable in for restroom, health, and grooming activities.
4. Cultural & Religious Expression: In many cultures and religions, there’s an expectation of gender separation in public spaces involving personal hygiene. Hoover has always supported a strong and diverse community. Not providing distinct gender facilities is creating an unwelcoming environment for the religious and cultural diversity in Palo Alto and the Bay Area at large.
5. Hygiene:  Children should be able to use toilets without urine on the seats which is common in Gender Neutral restrooms.  It is a reason girls avoid these restrooms. Boys also deserve proper standing urinals.  In elementary school, many boys are still learning how to urinate in toilets.
6. Health: Children should be able to manage their health and bodily functions at school.  Research shows that children who regularly hold their pee or poop can experience various issues including urinary tract infections (UTIs), dehydration, constipation, fecal incontinence, abdominal pain, discomfort, and even psychological distress due to the potential embarrassment associated with accidents, especially if they are frequently holding. This can also lead to a disrupted bladder and bowel function, impacting their daily lives significantly. Female students are distinctly disadvantaged and most susceptible to UTI and face difficulty managing their period. Using the same sanitary product for a long period of time can result in health issues such as yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and, in rare cases, toxic shock syndrome. (‘Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction in Elementary School Children: Results of a Cross-Sectional Teacher Survey’,’School Bathroom Habits Impact Life-Long Bladder Health: Opening the Door to the Girls' Room’; ‘Survey of School Nurses Reveals Lack of Bathroom Policies and Bladder Health Education’)
7. Gender expression: Gender expression is how a person publicly expresses their gender. This includes restroom access. Boys and Girls who prefer Gender Separated Restrooms should have a space that aligns with their preferences and identities.

D. Legal Precedents and Workplace/University Norms

1. Legal Precedents: “Sex-separated bathrooms and shielding one’s body from the opposite sex has been widely recognized throughout American history. The protection of students’ privacy interest in using the bathroom and in shielding their bodies from the opposite sex is an important governmental objective – particularly where school-age children are still developing, both emotionally and physically.” (‘In the Case of Public School Bathrooms: Separate Is Equal”, RumbergerKirk Law, 1/2024)
2. Workplace and University Norms: All the Fortune 500 companies and major universities in the Bay Area have Gender Separated Men’s and Women’s restrooms in addition to Gender Neutral Single Stall restrooms. Not having Men’s and Women’s restrooms would be an extreme outlier without justification.

Recap

Let's ensure children of all gender expression, religion, and culture feel comfortable, stay healthy, and maintain their mental wellbeing at Hoover Elementary School.

Offering ONLY Gender Neutral restrooms are a clear step in the opposite direction of these principles that we all hold dearly. Gender Separated Boys & Girls restrooms plus a Gender Neutral option is the only viable path forward to ensure that these core principles are met at Hoover.