The City of Sandpoint repealed a decades-old ordinance last night that gave local protections against discrimination.
Now, municipal code will only reflect the rights protected by the state and nation.
The decision reverses a unanimous City Council vote from over a decade ago. That vote created local definitions of discrimination and a Sandpoint human relations council.
Mayor Jeremy Grimm brought an amendment forward after public outcry over the YMCA’s locker room policy.
A female lifeguard allegedly saw someone she assumed was a transgender woman in the women’s locker room. She called 9-1-1 after the Y said their locker room policies were in line with city code.
Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm says city code shouldn’t define what discrimination is. He says the city should refer to state and federal law.
"We can treat every resident in standpoint with dignity and respect including LGBTQ+ residents, and still recognize that our city should not be imposing policies that exceed federal law, that may put businesses in legal jeopardy or may eliminate the reasonable privacy expectations of women and girls in intimate spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms," he said before breaking a tie vote.
"Sandpoint can condemn discrimination and promote fairness without taking on legal obligations far beyond our authority or capacity," he continued. "This is about balancing rights, staying within the law, and keeping our community safe, unified, and protected from unnecessary political and cultural conflict."
Sandpoint Alliance for Equality says changing local code weakens discrimination protections.
The advocacy group created a petition to support keeping Sandpoint code as it was. More than 400 individuals and 80 businesses signed on, including nearby ski resort Schweitzer.
Councilmembers Kyle Schreiber and Pam Duquette suggested delaying a decision with the possibility of letting voters decide via ballot next year.
"My previous hopes were to table this rewrite until more clear minds could prevail and meaningful conversation could be had with state and local leaders, businesses, legal experts, human rights groups, and community members who live and work here," Duquette said. "This should remain a Sandpoint issue with locals calmly making rational decisions to align our policy with our standpoint values and long term goals."
Once the code change goes into effect, any discrimination claims in Sandpoint can be litigated through state or federal channels.
The YMCA of the Inland Northwest is currently reviewing the amendment to determine its course of action. The organization does not necessarily have to change its locker room policies, but it will probably need to remove references to Sandpoint-specific code.
