A Saskatchewan Mother is stepping up to champion the rights of girls in school washrooms, rights of privacy, security and dignity that our government is systematically and intentionally stripping away.

Tawney Johnson, of Lampman Saskatchewan, is demanding that the South East Cornerstone Public School Division immediately safeguard female students’ fundamental rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

With the support of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), Johnson has sent a formal letter of demand urging the board to restore sex-segregated washrooms and change rooms at Lampman School, citing clear violations of the girls’ privacy, security, and equality.

This issue started with a 17-year-old biological male student who identifies as transgender and, as such, has been permitted use of female-only washrooms and facilities. Multiple female students, including Johnson’s own daughter, have reported feeling unsafe and uncomfortable, and shared their reluctance to use school facilities throughout their day.

Johnson described the situation bluntly, saying “It is an invasion of girls’ privacy and is causing immense mental harms.” She insists girls should not have to endure a full school day fearful that biological male students will be in the washroom with them.

JCCF lawyer Allison Pejovic reinforced the foundation of their argument, stating that “Schools are expected to provide safe environments for their students.” Their letter argues that the board’s policy contravenes subsection 12(2) of Saskatchewan’s Human Rights Code which explicitly permits sex-segregated washrooms and change rooms on the grounds of public decency. Even more critically, it contends that allowing biological males into female-designated facilities infringes upon female students’ Charter rights to security of the person (section 7), unreasonable search or seizure and privacy (section 8), and equality (section 15).

By invoking these protections, Johnson and the JCCF are not seeking exclusion but balance, fighting to ensure every student’s rights are respected without compromising the privacy and safety that sex-segregated spaces have long provided on the basis of biological sex.

The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code subsection 12(2) provides clear statutory support for maintaining segregated facilities for reasons of public decency. Further, no conflicting rulings exist in Saskatchewan to undermine these Charter arguments. In fact, they align fully with the explicit allowance for sex-based distinctions in intimate facilities, outlined under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.

This case serves as a reminder that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms exists to shield all Canadians from state-sanctioned intrusions on personal security and equality. Johnson’s stand is a defence of these very principles, ensuring schools can remain places where every child can learn without fear.

Biological males do not belong in girls’ washrooms, not now and not ever.

We are proud to stand with Tawney Johnson as a member of Police On Guard and as a mother willing to fight for the well-being of her daughter and so many others.

To read more and follow this case, click here to visit the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms website