ChaimanisHeadshot
John Chaimanis is a candidate for City Council in Newton's 2025 local election. Courtesy photo
In September 2024, someone posted on Facebook a Newton Beacon story about a School Committee meeting discussing the school district’s gender identity policy as it related to Title IX guidance from the Biden administration, as well as state law protecting transgender people’s access to restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity.
Resident John Chaimanis engaged in a discussion in the comments section, saying he was uncomfortable with some aspects of the policy.
“How is a parent with daughters supposed to get comfortable with the changing room situation where boys will now be allowed?” he asked.
He went on to write that he doesn’t judge people for their identity but has concerns about safety, citing sobering statistics from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network about the prevalence of sexual assault of women and girls.
The exchange was brought into the spotlight in recent weeks, after Chaimanis announced a run for City Council and city councilors started endorsing him. Then on Friday, a resident submitted a letter to The Newton Beacon, to be published, criticizing Chaimanis for his 2024 comments.
On Monday, Chaimanis addressed his comments and the discussions that have emerged since, with a statement in response to that letter, that reads:
“I am addressing recent statements circulating about a discussion thread on Facebook from about a year ago, in which I participated as a concerned parent.My goal was to become a more informed parent, and to understand how to support all children impacted by policies being discussed by the Newton Public Schools regarding gender. Participants shared diverse perspectives, concerns, and information. Throughout the exchange, we acknowledged each other’s civility and respect. Since then, I have learned that some of the ways I worded my concerns were hurtful. That was never my intention, and I am sorry for any pain or harm I caused.These are complex issues, and I share genuine concern and compassion for all people affected as we respectfully work through these and other challenging topics. We need to continue to ask honest questions, learn from one another, and grow together without fear of judgment.Thank you, and I look forward to contributing to the many conversations that build a stronger, more inclusive community in Newton.”
On Saturday, although Chaimanis wasn’t at the League of Women Voters’ Afternoon at the Races event, a resident upset about Chaimanis’ comments confronted two city councilors who are endorsing him.
Another resident, who has an adult transgender daughter and asked not to be identified due to safety concerns, said the comments about safety reminded her of talking points given by conservative groups that sued states, including Massachusetts, a few years ago to repeal public accommodations rights for transgender people. The courts have ruled that schools can make their own rules for those matters, so school districts, including Newton, added protections for transgender students in line with state protections in order to codify them for students if even state law was overturned.
“If someone has questions and wants accurate information, there are many other ways they can do it,” she said. “We expect more from our public officials than rehashing virulent tropes that cause great harm for the trans community. It’s unacceptable, and it’s terrifying.”
Statistically, transgender people are at a much greater risk of being victims of sexual assault than they are likely to perpetuate it. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports that 47 percent of all transgender and nonbinary people have experienced sexual assault and 35 percent of transgender and nonbinary students have reported being assaulted.
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