A meeting between a Lakeview High School parent and school administrators has left an ongoing dispute over a gym class policy unresolved, with questions continuing about a requirement that female students provide menstrual-cycle information to make up missed swimming days.
The issue began after St. Clair Shores parent Andy Amsdill reviewed the syllabus for his daughter’s ninth-grade physical education class. The syllabus stated that students who missed swimming because of their periods could make up the missed days only after a parent provided a written note or email giving the length of the student’s menstrual cycle.
Amsdill contacted school officials after seeing the requirement and said he was concerned about why such personal information was necessary. He said the school told him his daughter would not have to provide the information, but he wanted the policy addressed more broadly so other students would not face the same situation.
The controversy gained more attention after other parents came forward. Bryan Shishakly said his daughter encountered the same policy during her freshman year and that it affected her physical education grade. He said she was a straight-A student but received a C in gym after the issue arose.
The syllabus also indicates that students who do not complete alternative activities for missed swimming days can have those days counted as non-participation, which can result in lost points.
Parent says Friday meeting did not resolve concerns
Lakeview Public Schools had previously said administrators would meet with Amsdill to discuss his concerns. That meeting took place Friday morning, but according to Amsdill’s attorney, the parent was disappointed with how it unfolded.
Attorney Jamie White said Amsdill expected Superintendent Karl Paulson and the gym teacher to attend the meeting. White said neither was present and that the representatives who attended did not provide the resolution Amsdill was seeking.
Amsdill has since retained legal counsel. The dispute has also raised questions about whether the policy treats female students differently in a way that could create legal concerns.
Earlier in the week, civil-rights attorney Jon Marko told CBS Detroit that the wording of the policy could potentially raise issues under Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding. That is a legal concern raised by the attorney, not a determination that the school violated the law.
Questions remain about the policy
The district has not publicly explained why menstrual-cycle length is required to document missed swim days, nor has it announced a change to the policy following the Friday meeting.
It also remains unclear whether the same requirement appears in other physical education classes or how widely the policy has been applied.
For Amsdill, the issue extends beyond his daughter. He has argued that an individual exception does not address the larger question of what information students may be expected to provide when they miss a gym activity.
The situation has now moved beyond a single parent-school complaint, with additional families raising concerns and Amsdill seeking legal advice. The next step will likely depend on whether Lakeview Public Schools changes the policy or provides a broader explanation of how the requirement is intended to work.
