Mom's fury as private swim school bans nine-year-old son from women's locker room – and tells same-sex family to 'bring a man' to take him to men's facilities

A mother has expressed her anger after being told her nine-year-old son was not allowed to change next to her in the women's changing rooms at his private swimming school.

Speaking anonymously to MailOnline in an attempt to highlight a scenario she believes many women with young sons face, she says she was shocked when she was told her son would have to use the male changing rooms alone .

She claims that when she responded that she didn't like her fifth-grade son undressing in front of her, she was told to “bring a man” to accompany him in the future.

Before the weekend incident, the parent, who was married to her son's father but is now in a same-sex relationship, regularly took her son to £14-per-session classes, which take place at a school with separate male and female Dressing rooms.

She says the swimming lessons provider in Hertfordshire does not allow boys into the women's changing area after they turn eight

DRESSING ROOMS: WHAT ARE THE RULES?

Last year, the British equality watchdog ruled that schools are legally obliged to provide separate changing rooms based on biological sex

Many swimming and leisure facilities in Britain have increasingly opted for mixed changing areas in recent decades, so that parents with young children can stay together while changing.

However, parents attending recreational activities at school facilities often only find locker rooms designated as male or female.

The British equality watchdog ruled in September 2023 that schools are legally required to provide separate changing rooms based on biological sex.

Ahead of a review into how schools should deal with transgender students, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights said teachers who allow children to use toilets and changing rooms based on their chosen 'gender identity' rather than their biological sex, are at risk of breaking the law and may face legal action.

“We were told that my son was not allowed to enter the women's changing area under any circumstances, and when we suggested that one of us take him into the men's changing area, he wasn't allowed either,” she explained.

The mother told MailOnline that it was the first time she had encountered this problem and that she has not had any problems anywhere else, including using public toilets.

She said British swimming and leisure providers should provide alternative facilities if they do not want boys in women's changing areas.

Reading past stories of children being sexually abused or raped in locker rooms because they were unsupervised made her decide that her son would stay by her side in such cases, she added.

“I'm not willing to let my sons go into a locker room unattended where I can't see them undressing. Everyone can walk onto the grounds and into the changing rooms.'

When asked if alternative facilities could be provided, the swim school manager said there were none – and that the two women should 'bring a male' next time.

The mother told MailOnline: 'He's nine, he doesn't like girls or yawning. As much as we want that, he just wants to dry off, get dressed and leave the changing rooms.

'He is not a confident, outgoing boy and he is still very dependent on his parents. Of course he can dry off and change clothes, but I don't want him to do that in front of a bunch of strangers without us.'

As a result, the family have now canceled their nine-year-old's swimming contract, but are faced with the fact that they cannot also bring their other younger sons to the same location as the nine-year-old would have to wait outside.

She says having strictly separate changing rooms for men and women feels outdated, saying: 'It's a common problem across the country and it needs to be addressed.'

Many leisure facilities have increasingly opted for mixed changing facilities in recent years to tackle such issues, but swim schools using school facilities often only offer changing rooms designated for men or women.

The UK's equality watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), ruled in September that schools are legally required to provide separate changing rooms based on biological sex.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said teachers who allow children to use toilets and changing rooms based on their chosen 'gender identity' rather than their biological sex are at risk of breaking the law and facing legal action may have to deal with.

The issue of separate toilets in schools remains a hot topic: in August last year, five teenage girls wrote a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to install separate toilets in schools to ensure the safety and dignity of female students. (File image)

In August last year, five teenage girls wrote a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to install separate toilets in schools to ensure the safety and dignity of female students.

In an open letter, the students – who are aged between 13 and 15 – called on Rishi Sunak to tackle the issue head-on when the government issues its long-awaited transgender guidance to schools.

The girls – who used only their first names to sign their letter for fear of a backlash from trans activists – said gay facilities were an “essential safety feature” of schools.