Video: Issak Wolf Addresses The Red Lion School Board Meeting

Transgender senior Issak Wolfe stood up in front of the the Red Lion School Board June 16th reminding them "You are dealing with a flesh and blood human being not just a story in the paper, not just a thorn in your side."
Issak knows from experience how painful it is to be bullied by people in authority. His high school principal changed his campaign from prom king to queen without telling. If that wasn't bad enough the school board is persisting in lying to Issak and his supporters saying it would be against the the law for them to read his male name at graduation.

Issak drives the point home "Reading my male name at graduation wouldn't hurt anyone but reading my female name serves no purpose other than to hurt me more. Is it more important to push around a teenager than to make the school a safer place for all students?

PA Title 22 Education Code does not require schools to read a students legal name at graduation and the Red Lion School District has nothing in writing making that a requirement.

Issak isn't asking them to put his male name on his diploma or alter the official records. He's simply asking to be recognized on graduation for who he is.

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You can help take the sting out of Isaak's graduation by signing his Graduation card.

Kudos to WPMT FOX43. Every story this station has published about Issak has been presented in the highest tradition of journalism and amazingly they just keep getting better with each report. Thank you.

Read more at Red Lion transgender student wants male name read at graduation

Red Lion High School says Transman Issak Wolfe will be called by his Birth name at Graduation

The world first became aware of Issak Oliver Wolfe, a transgender senior attending Red Lion Area High School when his bid for prom king was unceremoniously changed to prom queen by the school's principal Mr. Shue. There wasn't much Issak could do about that because it was done without his knowledge at the last moment. He didn't learn of the change until he went to cast his ballot!

But it was just the beginning of Issak's battle for respect. The ACLU became involved at that time demanding that Issak be allowed to attend the prom in his authentic gender as a male with his supportive girl friend Taylor. Mr. Shue relented and allowed them to attend but there is one more critical unresolved issue.

Mr. Shue has said Issak's legal name will be read at graduation. Issak is in the process of changing his name now that he is 18, but that won't be completed until after graduation.

The PA code Title 22 Education does not require schools to read a students legal name at graduation and nether does the Red Lion School District.

Read Issack's authentic name. Soon after graduation it will become his for the rest of his life. It's just a simple request. Respect not bigotry.

From the ACLU May 6th press release

On April 25, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Pennsylvania sent a letter on behalf of Wolfe, asking among other things, that the school allow Wolfe to attend graduation wearing a black cap and gown for boys, as opposed to the yellow cap and gown mandated for girls, and have his male name read at the ceremony. The letter also asked that the school adopt a policy to allow students to run for prom court in accordance with their gender identity, as well as a broader nondiscrimination policy protecting transgender students in the district. In his response, the school district's solicitor agreed to allow Issak to wear a black cap and gown but denied the rest of his requests.

"I am really disappointed that the school district doesn't want to do anything to protect transgender students," said Wolfe, a senior at Red Lion Area High School. "I want to make sure that future transgender students are not humiliated and disrespected the way I was."

Wolfe plans to take his case to the RLASD school board at their next meeting on Thursday, May 16

You can keep up to date with Issak and his wonderful girlfriend Taylor by liking their facebook page and signing The ACLU petition "Issak's Simple Message: Respect, Not Bigotry".

Red Lion High School Transgender Student Will Attend Prom Tonight With His Girl Despite Principal's Bullying and Threats

It's been a traumatic experience so far for transgender high school senior Issak Oliver Wolfe and girl friend Taylor in a story first broke on planetransgender. Issak will be allowed to attend his Prom in his correct gender and his girl friend will accompany him despite threats and bullying by Mr. Shue, Red Lion High School Principal.

The ACLU published this press release demanding that Red Lion High School Principal Shue allow Issak to attend graduation in his correct gender and have his correct name read.

When Wolfe's girlfriend, Taylor Thomas, posted a message on Facebook and created an online petition supporting him, Shue called Wolfe into his office and threatened to prevent him from bringing her to prom unless she changed the posts. Shue also wrote a scripted press statement that he then pressured Wolfe to give to media. After Thomas's online posts were changed, Shue continued to threaten to bar her from attending until Wolfe said he was contacting the ACLU.

Shue declined to say whether or not Wolfe's male name will be read at graduation, as he has repeatedly requested.

"Issak is accepted by his family, teachers, and peers for who he is," said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. "He had no reason to expect to be treated differently by school officials, and Shue's efforts to silence Issak and Taylor and suppress their First Amendment rights are completely inappropriate and unconstitutional."

The full letter sent by the ACLU to the Red Lion School district can be viewed here.