NEWTON — Catawba Valley Republican Men and Moms for Liberty of Catawba County are calling a press conference Monday night on bathroom regulation in Catawba County — hours after Newton-Conover officials answered Moms for Liberty’s question about whether they will match the County School Board’s biological-sex facilities rule.
The presser is set for Monday, Sept. 21, immediately following the Newton-Conover City Schools Board of Education meeting that begins at 5:30 p.m. in the board room at 605 N. Ashe Avenue, Newton. Organizers say all are welcome.
CCS already acted
Catawba County Schools has already passed the measure. On Aug. 17, the County School Board adopted Policy 4.0000 requiring students to use multi-occupancy restrooms, locker rooms, showers, and overnight sleeping quarters designated for their biological sex. Hickory and Newton-Conover had not matched that vote when CCS acted.
What Newton-Conover said
Sandy Jarvis, chair of Moms for Liberty Catawba, emailed Newton-Conover Superintendent Dr. Emily Shaw and Board of Education member Tim Hayes on Sept. 17. She asked whether their board intended “to make a similar specific policy to be sure private spaces are safe for both boys and girls.”
Hayes replied the same evening. Shaw replied the next morning. Neither committed to a CCS-style local policy. Both said student safety is a priority, that policies are under ongoing review, and that they are tracking Senate Bill 516, the Women’s Safety and Protection Act.
“We are always looking for additional ways to keep and make our students safe. We are constantly reviewing policies and making adjustments,” Hayes wrote. “I am also tracking NC SB 516 (the Women’s Safety and Protection Act) and hope to see movement on that legislation.”
“The safety and well-being of our students is always at the forefront of our work. We are continually reviewing our practices, policies, and procedures to identify ways we can strengthen the safety of our schools and better protect our students,” Shaw wrote. “I am also closely following the status of NC Senate Bill 516, the Women’s Safety and Protection Act, and will continue to monitor its progress and any implications it may have for our schools.”
Tom Dees, chairman of Catawba Valley Republican Men, said Newton-Conover’s answers fall short of the County School Board’s vote.
“Their response to our questions was to insist that they were eagerly watching a bill that died in committee a year ago,” Dees said. “Meanwhile, Chairman Tim Settlemyre, of Catawba County Schools, took action. This is what cowardice looks like. They couldn’t even give us a straight answer.”
SB 516, filed March 25, 2025, would set statewide rules for sex-separated facilities at public schools and other state-funded sites. The General Assembly’s bill lookup shows it was referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate on March 26, 2025, and has not advanced past that referral. Companion HB 791 sat in House Rules after April 2025 first reading.
Why Monday matters
The press conference lands on the Newton-Conover board’s own turf, right after the board meets — with CCS already on the books, city-district replies that point to Raleigh instead of a local vote, and a county merger clock running toward July 1, 2028. Organizers are framing Monday as a stand for schools and community. Catawba First News will cover what they say — and whether Newton-Conover moves from “reviewing” to writing a rule.
Flyer: Catawba Valley Republican Men. Emails provided by Sandy Jarvis, Moms for Liberty Catawba (Sept. 17–18, 2026). Prior: https://catawbafirst.com/catawba-county-schools-draws-the-line-bathrooms-by-biological-sex/. NCGA S516 / H791.
