Culver sixth graders headed out Monday for a weeklong Outdoor School adventure at Camp Tamarack west of Sisters, only to turn around and head back home that same afternoon, after some students learned they would share a cabin with nonbinary counselors, who do not identify as strictly male or female.

The students told their teachers, who called the Culver Middle School principal, who called the superintendent, who made the call to bus all the students back to Culver.

“They’re 11- and 12-year-olds. They don’t have a huge, deep understanding of the world,” said Culver Superintendent Stefanie Garber. “Yet they were supposed to undress and sleep in front of someone who, from their view, appeared as the opposite sex.” Garber would not elaborate on how many students raised concerns.

She says it was a difficult decision.

“Oh, incredibly difficult. Lose sleep difficult,” said Garber.

Garber consulted with teachers and her administrative team to make the decision. She informed the board and the parents, but says she didn’t have time to consult them.

School Board Chair Scott Leeper said while he wasn’t consulted, he supported Garber’s decision.

Garber blames Camp Tamarack for a lack of communication. She says the camp should have told them about nonbinary counselors.

“If they wanted every student to feel comfortable,” she said. “We have some very conservative and we have some very progressive. I’m sure that’s every community. But I believe we could have set it up where everyone would have been comfortable in the cabin they were placed in.”

Camp Tamarack responded. “While we communicated extensively with the staff and school district ahead of, during and after their visit, our communications are not allowed to include the sexual orientation or sexual identity of any of the kids, campers or student leaders at camp,” said camp Executive Director Charlie Anderson. Many counselors at Outdoor School are high school students.

Anderson added that the school district didn’t communicate with them about leaving. They did not know Culver students were leaving until the buses arrived to take them home.

“Though the superintendent apologized to us for the gap in her communication, we feel that was a missed opportunity for meaningful conversation and solutions,” Anderson said.

Garber assumes students are disappointed, but she said, “Parents have been very grateful.”

Culver has 49 sixth graders. Garber doesn’t know how many went to Outdoor School.

She says the district is committed to providing an Outdoor School experience for its sixth graders in the spring.

When asked what message this situation sends to Culver sixth graders who may be struggling with their sexual identity, Garber said Culver School District embraces students regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. “We absolutely accept and support every child. We’re small, and our benefit is we know every student by name, by challenges, successes and the ways they need support,” she said. “This is a totally different scenario when you’re talking sleeping, and dressing and non-typical school functions.”

Camp Tamarack responded that its mission includes making Outdoor School a safe place regardless of differences like race, religion, sex, color, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

“My heart is heavy for the kids from Culver who did not get to have a camp experience this week,” said Anderson. “Also, I feel deeply for the high school students (also kids) who were singled out because of their identity.”