MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Harpeth Hall: Reese Witherspoon's elite girls' school to enroll anyone who IDENTIFIES as female

'As the world evolves, so do our students. The concept of gender has expanded and deepened over time,' Harpeth Hall said in its letter to parents

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: A prestigious all-girls school in Nashville recently introduced a new policy that allows transgender girls to enrol. In a letter sent to parents on Tuesday, August 10, Harpeth Hall stated that the school supports gender identification and welcomes applications from students who identify as girls.

Reese Witherspoon and Amy Grant both attended the $33,000 a year Tennessee preparatory school, which insists there has been "no change" to the admissions procedure, which is "open to any female student."

READ MORE

Video shows teachers brag about ignoring parents' request to use birth pronouns for queer students

Virginia school board slammed for approving trans inclusive Policy 8040: 'National disgrace'

The school emphasized that the new policy provided a safe area for students to express their gender identification and that its environment was focused on women. This policy was implemented after a new state law went into effect that imposes severe fines on public schools that let trans athletes to play women's sports. Despite the fact that Harpeth Hall is a private school and is therefore not necessarily subject to the recently passed statute, the memo did not address trans students participating in its sports.

In a statement sent to parents on Tuesday, Harpeth Hall stated that "any student who identifies as a girl may apply to our school" and that it respects gender identification. The statement reads, "As the world evolves, so do our students. The concept of gender has expanded and deepened over time.The cultural dialogue around gender is evolving rapidly. At Harpeth Hall, we are inspired and guided by our girls school mission and work every day to live fully and truly into our purpose."

Daily Mail reported that the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the board of trustees, faculty, and school administration collaborated to better understand gender identity before developing the new policy. Before deciding to change its admissions criteria, the team sought advice from subject matter experts, reviewed scholarly articles on the subject, and spoke with representatives from other all-girls institutions.

The lengthy letter that Harpeth Hall wrote to parents provided brief guidelines about admissions using open-ended language and emphasized on an individual basis for enrollment decisions. The letter stated, "Harpeth Hall is a girls school. The school culture is unique and distinctly about girls, complete with the use of references to students as girls and young women and a collective use of female pronouns." The statement further said that students enroll at the institution because the mission and women-centric environment resonates with them.

The news about Harpeth Hall's new policy attracted has attracted mixed reactions online. Tennessee residents expressed their outrage, while others backed the school's claim that it supports all women. Brentwood resident Lara Moses Whitaker posted on Facebook, "Harpeth Hall has lost its mind. Accepting boys who identify as girls???!!!" Clay Travis reacted on Twitter, "Harpeth Hall, an all girls school in Nashville for 155 years, announced today they will now admit boys who identify as girls. Really." "I am proud to say I went to harpeth hall. This thread disgusts me - so much hatred!" wrote another.