What is a chest binder? Great Salt Bay Community School allegedly gives the garment to 13-year-old female student

The Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta, Maine is under investigation after a social worker allegedly gave a 13-year-old female student a chest binder and urged her to keep it a secret from her parents.

According to Reviewed, a Chest binder is a specialized gender-transitioning garment worn under one's clothing to compress the chest tissue and reduce its appearance. Using chest binders is common among people with chest dysphoria or those who don't want their chest to appear feminine.

Chest Binders in various skin tones (Image via Creative Commons)

In a discussion with the National Review, Amber Lavigne, the teen's mother, explained that the incident came to light in December 2022, after she discovered her daughter's gender-transitioning device and confronted her about the same.

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School claims it is a "one-sided story" as mother plans to take legal action over daughter's secret chest binder

Initially, the 13-year-old claimed that the device was given to her by a friend. However, Lavigne found something amiss and told her daughter:

"I want you to think long and hard if there’s anything else you want to share with me about this because I am going to reach out to your friend’s mom."

The teen then admitted that the new social worker assigned to her, Samuel Roy, gave her the chest binder. She explained that neither the school nor Roy informed her of the chest-tightening device given to her daughter.

The mother promptly contacted the school's Superintendent Lynsey and Principal Kim Shaff, explaining the entire situation. According to news outlets, the school reportedly thought that Lavigne was referring to a paper binder.

At first, the mother was quite happy with the school's response. However, following a conversation with Roy, the school reportedly sided with him. They did not answer any of Lavigne's questions, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The frustrated parent took the matter to a school board meeting, where she stated:

"These people had no desire to work with me as a human being."

What added to her dilemma was that the school staff started referring to her child by a different name and by male pronouns.

Great Salt Bay Community School (Image via YouTube/@NewYorkPost)

In a conversation with the Washington Post, she remarked:

"I feel like my rights were violated and my daughter’s education was put on the back burner... I feel like they overstepped and drove a wedge between my child and her family."

Lavigne withdrew her daughter from the school and took the help of an Arizona-based law firm, Goldwater Institute, which has dubbed the school's actions as unconstitutional, claiming that they violated her (Lavigne's) rights.

This was communicated to the school's board chairman Samuel Belknap via a letter. They argued that parents need to be advised about any decisions involving their child's mental health and well-being.

The Great Salt Bay Community School, however, claimed that this was a one-sided narrative. They cited the Maine Human Rights Act for their actions, which states that they cannot discriminate based on race, age, and gender identity, among others.

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According to an article by Clue, using a chest binder comes with side effects and risks. It is recommended that it should not be worn for more than eight hours a day.

Periodic stretches of not using the binder would greatly reduce the negative symptoms. Additionally, it should be removed before sleeping and exercising.