Parents are demanding answers after a Michigan high school gym syllabus required female students to provide private information about their menstrual cycles. This is to receive credit for missed swimming classes.
The controversy centers on Lakeview High School, where the physical education syllabus said students could make up swim classes missed because of menstruation only if a parent supplied a note containing “the length of the menstrual duration,” per People. Students who did not make up the missed class could face a “grade reduction scale.”
The syllabus also gave students the option of completing alternative workouts rather than simply sitting out. Parents, however, questioned why documentation about a student’s menstrual cycle was needed to receive credit for the class.
Parents say the requirement went too far
Concerned parent Andy Amsdill was among those who challenged the requirement after learning about the policy. Per the report, he said that the request was “ridiculous” and questioned why school staff needed access to information he considered deeply personal.
“This is their private information,” Amsdill said. “That teacher, nor anybody in the school administration, has any right to it.”
Amsdill said he contacted school leaders after raising concerns about the requirement. He said he was told his own daughter would not have to provide the information to make up a missed swim day.
However, Amsdill said the school also told him the syllabus would not be changed across the district. That response left him dissatisfied because he believed the underlying policy remained in place for other students.
The dispute later expanded into questions about how school officials handled the complaint. Amsdill’s attorney, Jamie White, said officials who attended a meeting with the father did not include the superintendent or the teacher involved.
White said Amsdill expected both officials to attend. Instead, he claimed the people at the meeting “basically deflected the entire situation” and said they were standing by the school’s personnel.
Other parents have also spoken out against the requirement. Elizabeth Gibson called having to disclose menstrual information “really invasive,” while Amy Droelle argued that the policy conflicted with the privacy of the girls attending the class.
The dispute has also raised concerns about grades. Parent Bryan Shishakly told CBS News that his daughter, whom he described as a straight-A student, received a C in gym and that he believed the policy had affected her grade.
Shishakly also questioned the potential academic consequences for girls subject to the rule. He pointed to students pursuing scholarships or other academic opportunities. This he believed means a gym grade could have consequences beyond the classroom.
Published: Sep 21, 2026 02:30 pm