Bethany Cote: Sanborn is not a good fit for the Gilford School Board

To The Daily Sun,

The job of a school board member is to work with the community with the ultimate goal of improving the district’s schools. This position is nonpartisan position and members should be able to reflect the diversity of the community. From greatschools.org: “Healthy or dysfunctional, inspired or narrow-minded, school boards can make or break the quality of your local school system.” The behavior of board members is critically important as this position requires working with a diverse population of people in a respectful, open-minded manner.

(Kyle) Sanborn has publicly demonstrated at recent Gilford School Board meetings surrounding the equal rights policy for transgender students that he would be unable to serve in the manner described above. Find them on Granite Grok youtube channel-watch and form your own opinion.

Sanborn has deeply held convictions that a transgender person can only be the gender assigned at birth. He stated that the district forcing himself and his children to call a child the pronoun (he or she) other than the pronoun assigned at birth was “compelled speech” and a violation of his First Amendment rights. Seriously? A stretch.

Suicide rates for transgender students who are not supported by their parents/community is over 40 percent. Why would anyone insist on supposed First Amendment rights violation over the welfare of a child, (whether you personally believe in transgenderism or not)?

Sanborn seems to be a nice guy, from my limited interaction. Yes, I’m sure he has his family’s and close communities’ interests at heart. He was born in Gilford and even has a daughter in the same grade as my daughter (she is a lovely child). Does that make him qualified for this position? It does not. He has the right to his personal and religious beliefs, but it should never intertwine with public school policies, especially to the detriment of the wellbeing of children (research the issue yourself, there are no cases of transgender students sexually violating students due to sharing a bathroom).

At the meet the candidates night (unfortunately he did not attend):, I had wanted to ask Mr. Sanborn the following questions: 1. Are he and his constituents planning to sue the board and as he stated that passing said policy would “open itself to a lawsuit” and asked the board “is this board and this district prepared to be sued by a parent.” 2. If he is not pursuing a lawsuit, how can he assure the public that he is not running to pursue his own personal agenda?

While Sanborn may be a fine person in other areas of his life, in order to meet the ultimate goal of the School Board, we must elect members who are diplomatic, can conduct themselves in a respectful manner and are open minded.

Bethany Cote

Gilford