2025-04-20 10:31:29 -0400
To: Rochester City School District
LGBTQ+ Support in Rochester City School District
It is with deep sorrow and heartbreak that we acknowledge the tragic death of 15-year-old Katelyn, a transgender girl who died after falling from a high elevation at Rochester’s School of the Arts on March 25th.
We demand that the Rochester City School District:
- Conduct a full, transparent, and trauma-informed investigation into the circumstances surrounding Katelyn’s death.
- Implement comprehensive, LGBTQ+ inclusive mental health support and suicide prevention programs in every school.
- Mandate ongoing training for educators and staff on affirming and protecting transgender students.
- Collaborate with local LGBTQ+ organizations to ensure schools are safe, inclusive, and affirming learning environments.
We also urge parents, community members, and allies to engage in conversations about how to better protect and uplift transgender youth—not only in moments of tragedy but in everyday practice.
Why is this important?
Katelyn was a soul with a future that should have been protected and celebrated. As we come to understand more about who Katelyn was, we affirm and honor her truth as a transgender youth—a truth that far too often is erased, misunderstood, or denied, and her story demands that we, as a community, do better.
Transgender and gender-expansive youth are navigating a world that frequently refuses to see them fully, love them deeply, or protect them fiercely. Katelyn’s passing is not just a tragedy—it is a call to action.