Rachel Pepe is a 13-year-old student at Thorne Middle School in Middletown, NJ. At least she was a student at that school.
When Rachel attended the same school last year, she suffered huge stress.
He was going to school last year as Brian. How can I send her back as Rachel? And I am not sending her back as Brian because the depression will start again.
--Angela Peters, Rachel's mother, adding that her child developed stress-related seizures, depression and panic attacks
Angela says that Rachel was deeply isolated last year and was bullied for it.
She would get off the bus and just cry. Then she would go to sleep for 17 or 20 hours and refuse to go back there.
--Peters
Still, Rachel didn't initially share the cause of her grief with her mother. Peters says, "A mother knows when something is wrong."
I sort of felt something was missing, that something was wrong.
This is just recently I realized I wanted to be a girl.
--Rachel
Rachel says her new name "just fits."
The school, however, is having a problem with Rachel's transition. Peters says that a Thorne official told her that Rachel can only return to the school if she dresses and behaves like the boy she was last year...and that "no accommodations would be made and no out-of-district educational options were available."
Now that stance by the school is a clear violation of state and federal anti-discrimination laws, but the school is determined that it will have no transgender students. Peters says the school official told her that the school "is not equipped to handle" her daughter.
I said, 'What about letting her go to the bathroom in the nurse's office?"
--Peters
Request rejected.
Peters said she was told school officials couldn't call her Rachel because her birth certificate says Brian. But Peters pointed out the school allows for nicknames to be used.
Peters says she was also told that Rachel would "upset the boy-girl ratio in school" and that "standardized tests require legal name and gender."
Certainly the family has legal avenues if they wish to pursue them. The family would have a strong case against discrimination.
--Michael Silverman, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
Some sanity would be welcome in the situation.
District officials are more recently saying that they are willing to work with the family to come up with a solution.
When contacted Middletown Schools Superintendent William O. George said he was not aware of the controversy. While he is limited in what he can disclose about the situation because of state and federal confidentiality laws and regulations, George addressed the case in general terms.
We as a district want to do everything we can as a district. Every child is different and their education and social and emotional well being is my priority. We will work with them to find the appropriate placement.
--George
Peters says the family is looking for alternative placement, but thinks the district should help pay the associated costs of attending a private school.
Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, head of psychiatry at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, said children as young as 7 or 8 already feel gender identity issues but they often start at the time of puberty when a child's body starts changing.
Solhkhah said Rachel would likely do best in a new school.
I support this without interviewing this child. It certainly is reasonable. Children with psycho-sexual issues often benefit from a fresh start at a new school.
--Solhkhah
This isn't a phase She is not going to grow out of this.
--Peters
There could be other kids scared out there, who live secretly at school and go home and be themselves. If this helps one person, I can be happy about that, too.
--Rachel
On Thursday George reached out in an attempt to schedule a meeting.