A woman named Nicole Solas asked the University of Rhode Island to share with her specific information being taught in these "safe zones.” She said she'd heard about them in other universities, and when she learned about this one in her state, she wanted to know more about it.
However, the university denied her request.
Now, she wants to know why. The public university is subject to open records laws, and taxpayer money is used to fund what goes into the “safe zone” training sessions.
Stacy Skankey, a staff attorney at the Goldwater Institute, wrote about Solas' experience in an article called, "Secret 'Safe Zone' Trainings? What Is the University of Rhode Island Hiding?"
Wide range of topics
Goldwater has taken on Solas’ case.
“So Safe Zone training is a resource for LGBTQ communities and again, they talk about different things from transgender identities, race and ethnicity. There are even reproductive rights, sexual pleasure, etcetera. These are different types of training within safe zone training that you can take, and this is available at most college campuses, but in particular it's at the University of Rhode Island."
Skankey explained that once the training has been completed, the instructors get a sticker they can put on their door. You may see them at your area universities. For many, that visibility is important.
"So people know that they're welcome there. It kind of identifies your allyship, and it also by default shows those who don’t have those pictures and who have not taken (the training). Those people are kind of, you know, noted by the lack of sticker."
Note to URI: You're a public school
The university’s denial of Solas’ request is a flagrant public records violation.
"We do have a right to access public records, and at a public university, we have the right to access these types of trainings and see what's being taught. That’s the point here, trying to figure out what is actually being trained. Safe Zone project trainings are available publicly. They're free to download. You can access them from the website,” Skankey said.
Since URI has denied the request what exactly is being taught is left to specuation.
“We don't know if they're doing the entirety of that training, if they've adapted it and progressed it, or if they've kind of done something entirely different. We don’t know, and they have denied us the access to find that information,” Skankey said.
Goldwater filed an appeal on Solas' behalf. They are challenging the university's "illegal actions" with the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office.
