Image: SD33 / Aerial shot of Imagine High in Chilliwack.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Imagine High

Chilliwack family pulls son from Imagine High over repeated incidents of girls using boys washroom

Sep 16, 2025 | 9:46 AM

CHILLIWACK — A Chilliwack family says they’ve pulled their 17-year-old son from Imagine High Integrated Arts and Technology Secondary School due to what they say were repeated instances of girls using the boys washroom.

Kristiana Gairdner says she pulled her son out of the school after voicing her frustration over a lack of bathroom privacy for her son.

“On Friday, September 12, I pulled my son out of that school after there were four against two in regards to my son being able to use the ‘boys’ bathroom without females in there,” Gairdner said, referring to being outnumbered by admin and school staff who apparently had no issue with girls going into the boys bathroom. “Those women working at the school and in the again office are not protecting our children where school is to be a safe place.”

She claims that the Imagine High principal (Brooke Haller) told her 17-year-old son to “contact the government” if he has a problem.

“My daughter is in grade 6 and when she goes to high school, I don’t want a male in the washrooms with her,” Gairdner said. “This is a very sick world.”

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In response to an inquiry from Fraser Valley Today, Chilliwack School District communications manager Amy Dhanjal said all schools in the Chilliwack School District have gender-specific and at least one non-gendered single-stall washroom.

“Individuals may choose to use washrooms and change rooms that match their gender identity, including non-gendered single-stall washrooms and change rooms,” Dhanjal said.

Dhanjal said parents and guardians are more than welcome to reach out to school staff as concerns arise.

“Good communication between school and home is important and our staff welcome conversations with families to address questions and resolve concerns,” Dhanjal said.

Dhanjal also provided a link to SD33’s Adminstrative Procedure 356 that states, “Individuals may choose to use washrooms and change rooms that match their gender identity, including non-gendered single-stall washrooms and change rooms. Each site will provide at least one easily accessible and clearly marked non-gendered washroom/change room for individual use. When gender-diverse students are anxious about choosing a washroom or change room, staff will assist them in making this decision on a case-by-case basis to maximize their social integration, safety, and comfort. This can be done in consultation with the student, parents/guardians/caregivers, and appropriate school staff.”

She also provided a link to SD33 Policy 390 that states, “The Board of Education believes that open, direct communication between students, parents, and school personnel serves the best interest of everyone in resolving a concern. The Board supports the practice that concerns about personnel, programs or procedures are dealt with at the point closest to where the concern first arises in a courteous, confidential, and mutually satisfactory manner. When a parent/guardian/caregiver has a concern about the action or decision of any employee, an educational program, a procedure or a learning resource, their concern should be first channeled through the employee and then the principal of the school. If resolution is not reached at the school level, a concern may be forwarded to the appropriate Assistant Superintendent before being referred to the Superintendent for consideration.”

The 17-year-old student who has since transferred to G.W. Graham said girls kept coming into the boys washroom at Imagine High pretending they were males when, as he says, they were clearly not. He said there were three girls in the boys washroom at one point.

“I was uncomfortable from that, so I went and talked to the office. They denied my feelings and said that if they say they are males, they’re allowed in the male’s washroom,” he said in a screenshot message obtained by Fraser Valley Today. “But no, they’re supposed to use the gender-neutral washroom. But yet, they don’t enforce that, so I let my mom know. She went in the [Imagine High] school with me and talked to the office, and they threatened to call the cops on us. So, I’m pulled out.”

Fraser Valley Today sent SD33 a screenshot containing the claims made by the student. However, for privacy reasons, SD33 said it was not able to comment on individual students.