Formally identified as a “complaint” to the Department of Education, it was filed on behalf of a transgender high school student and her parents in the district who’ve made a number of attempts to reach an agreement directly with the school system but have failed to reach any compromise. “They know the environment and culture of their schools and they quite frankly have been handling this in an admirable way and I think that’s how we should continue handling it”. “To this point in time, our schools are doing what they did last month and past year, and our advice to them is to continue doing what you’re doing in your local schools”. As a result, the student avoids using the restroom or using the girls’ restroom out of fear of punishment by the school.
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“…(W) e will always make reasonable accommodations for students as to using the nurse’s restroom and or faculty restrooms if need be”, the email stated. “School should be a safe place for all students”. “I do think it’s worth noting that the president is – and I understand he is in his last days – but he’s trying to do a lot of things by guidelines that are really Congress’ responsibilities”.
Issues involving transgender students have been hot topics in the news of late, prompting the May 13 “Dear Colleague” letter from Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights at the DOE, and Vanita Gupta, principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights at DOJ.
Turcato also said that the School Board of Trustees had discussed the issue, although it has not appeared on any recent meeting agendas.
Despite the governor’s remarks, Casada issued a statement later Wednesday saying that following his discussions with House Republicans, he is drafting a bill “in preparation for a potential special session”. While our 181 school systems must each determine an appropriate response to this federal overreach, I have asked State School Superintendent Richard Woods to provide guidance to those local school systems seeking assistance and clarity on this issue in order to ensure that there will be as much uniformity across our state as possible.
“At its core, the (administration’s) letter sacrifices the fundamental privacy rights associated with intimate bodily functions for millions of school students”, said a May 17 letter signed by lawmakers.
Schools must enforce their dress codes equally and equitably.
As for the tie-in of Title IX funding – which critics say is unwarranted because the Title IX amendment deals with sex discrimination rather than gender identity – Heitsch said it’s “something we will all pay attention to”.
Area Republican state legislators have put their two cents’ worth into the debate about the use of public school bathrooms by transgender students.
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Richard Locker reports for the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel; Ebert reports for The Tennessean.
