The White House, along with the departments of Justice and Education say schools must let transgender students use the bathroom they identify with.
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The directive from the U.S. Education and Justice departments notes that federal laws barring discrimination based on gender identity include students – and that public schools must allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.
The guidelines don’t have the same heft as laws, but they do advise school districts to not treat transgender students differently from other students.
But the district changed its guidelines shortly after the incident, spokeswoman Danielle Clark said.
The Round Rock and Eanes school districts also said they take each student’s needs into consideration.
The school district provides gender diversity training to all district educators and support staff through a partnership with “A Queer Endeavor”, an initiative out of the University of Colorado’s School of Education.
The directive came as the Justice Department and North Carolina are battling in federal court over a North Carolina state law approved in March that prohibits people from using public restrooms not corresponding to their gender assigned at birth, while other states weigh similar measures.
“Somebody tell us what to do and what’s right”, Lafayette School Corporation Superintendent Les Huddle said. “It’s handled by our administrators at the campus level, and the issue has not bubbled up to board policy”.
They say the federal government is bullying schools to comply.
Some school systems around the country already accommodate transgender students when it comes to bathroom use.
“Until I see Barack Obama’s two daughters going into a transgender bathroom with a male, well OK, it’s hypocritical otherwise”, she says.
The American Civil Liberties Union said the guidance would help make students “free to bring their whole selves to school”.
Julius is with Gay and Lesbian Community Services of Southeast Minnesota.
One Colorado Executive Director Dave Montez said in an emailed statement Friday that the Department of Education’s declaration is “life saving” for many students.
“I believe that if they want to have had the surgery of the sex they want to be, that they should be able to go into the bathroom of their choice”, said local, Betty Weeks.
MS has enacted legislation similarly viewed as discriminatory by civil and gay rights groups, and Tennessee and Missouri considered similar measures.
The Obama administration is not legally requiring schools to follow the guidelines but sent a letter to all public schools saying noncompliance would affect billions of education dollars.
“The directive is nonbinding, and does not carry the force of law”, Bryant said.
Many stores have issued statements about gender neutral bathrooms, including Target. He lamented the cost to businesses caused by political disputes, such as the gender dispute in North Carolina, before he publicly endorsed the federalist argument that the dispute should be delegated to states and cities. We will not yield to blackmail from the president of the United States. Decisions in court cases and federal civil rights complaints have ruled gender identity is covered by Title IX, he said. “To know that the federal government is pushing for respect and safe space and rights for Hunter is thrilling”.
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The majority of schools do not have policies in place.
