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Parents are criticizing a policy at Lakeview High School in Michigan that requires female students to provide detailed information about their menstrual cycles if they want to make up swimming classes missed due to their periods. Female students must submit a note from a parent specifying the length of their cycle for makeup days, which has drawn criticism from parents like Andy Amsdill and Bryan Shishakly, who argue that such requirements are unreasonable and potentially unfair. The school district’s superintendent stated they are willing to meet with concerned parents to address these issues but did not clarify if similar policies exist in other classes or schools within the district.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A Michigan high school has come under fire for a controversial gym class policy requiring female students to disclose details about their menstrual cycles if they want to make up missed swimming days due to periods. The policy, outlined in the Lakeview High School gym syllabus, mandates that parents provide written confirmation of the length of their daughter's menstrual cycle before allowing them to participate in makeup activities. Parents and students are upset by what they see as an invasion of privacy and a discriminatory practice. For instance, Andy Amsdill, whose daughter attends Lakeview, expressed shock upon discovering this requirement. The policy also stipulates that students must complete dry land workouts for missed days or face grade reductions. This incident has sparked broader discussions about menstruation equity and privacy in educational settings across the United States.
Written for “School Menstrual Cycle Policy Controv…” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score -0.45 for article 16851 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-17
A Michigan high school is facing scrutiny after parents raised concerns over a gym class policy requiring female students to disclose information about their menstrual cycles if they want to make up swimming days missed because of their periods.
asserted
they → face → periods
Under the policy, which appears in a Lakeview high school gym syllabus, female students who miss swimming because of their periods must have a parent submit a written note or email identifying the length of their menstrual cycle before they can make up the missed days.
asserted
they → appear → days
The syllabus states: “Female students will be given the opportunity to make up days, which are missed only because of their menstrual cycle.
asserted
which → state → cycle
A written/email note from a parent stating the length of the menstrual duration is required, so the student can make up the days.”
asserted
student → write → days
“Students will complete dry land workouts to be able to make up the days,” it continues.
asserted
it → complete → days
“Students will not just sit out.
asserted
Students → sit → ?
Each day that is not made up will be considered a non-participation day and place the student on the grade reduction scale.”
The requirement caught the attention of Andy Amsdill, whose daughter attends Lakeview high school.
asserted
daughter → make → school
Amsdill told WXYZ Detroit that he was stunned when he saw the requirements in her gym syllabus.
asserted
he → tell → syllabus
“The teacher wants us to either send a note or an email with the suspected length of the cycle which, by itself, is ridiculous,” Amsdill told the outlet.
asserted
Amsdill → want → outlet
Menstrual cycle length can sometimes be difficult to predict, and the US National Institutes of Health estimates between 14% to 25% of women experience menstrual irregularities.
asserted
Institutes → predict → irregularities
Amsdill later told CBS News that other parents contacted him after he spoke publicly about the syllabus, saying they were glad he had brought attention to the issue.
asserted
he → tell → issue
Shishakly said she faced the same requirement during her freshman gym class last year and that it affected her grade.
asserted
it → say → grade
“My response was like, ‘If they ask, you have no obligation to tell them,’ and it did affect her grade,” Shishakly told CBS.
asserted
Shishakly → ask → CBS
“She’s a straight-A student, and she ended up with a C in gym, and I don’t know how fair that is since it’s only going to apply to the girls at the school.”
asserted
it → ’ → school
Lakeview public schools superintendent Karl D Paulson issued a statement that read: “We recently became aware of a parent’s concern relative to certain class expectations.
asserted
We → issue → expectations
Given our commitment to partnering with parents to address any issue that might arise, we immediately sought to schedule a meeting with the parent to engage in a conversation about the concern.
uncertain
we → give → concern
It added: “We look forward to meeting with the parent in the coming days and working collaboratively with that objective.
asserted
We → add → objective
The Lakeview school district remains fully committed to educational excellence and best practices in all it does.”
asserted
it → remain → all
It remains unclear whether the same requirement appears in other gym class syllabuses at Lakeview high school, or whether the district intends to remove it following the criticism.
uncertain
district → remain → criticism
The controversy has also prompted Amsdill to question whether the policy could be in violation of title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.
uncertain
that → prompt → assistance
Lakeview public schools addresses title IX on its website and includes a separate guide aimed at helping students identify sexual harassment.
asserted
students → address → harassment
The guide defines it as “unwanted sexual remarks or behaviors” and says that can include “comments about students’ bodies or how they look or act.”
asserted
they → define → bodies
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