The Obama administration is telling public schools that they must allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.
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Tell Obama to withdraw this extreme mandate, which not only violates established science and replaces it with ideology, but also violates the right to privacy of US public school students and puts their safety at risk.
The federal guidance from leaders at the departments of Education and Justice says public schools are obligated to treat transgender students in a way that matches their gender identity, even if their education records or identity documents indicate a different sex.
Any concerns about the safety or privacy of students related to a transgender student’s use of a restroom should be brought to a district compliance coordinator, who would meet with the student and their parents to determine if they need an alternative facility, the guidelines read.
Just like school systems nationwide, Southwest Florida officials are eyeing the decree and seeing how it may effect local schools. And the administration is making it very clear to school districts that if they discriminate against transgender students, they could be in violation of Title IX, and they could be at risk of losing federal money.
This is a developing story.
“The Department of Justice and the entire Obama Administration wants you to know that we see you; we stand with you; and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward”, Lynch said on Monday.
The federal government has interpreted Title IX’s protection against sex discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity for several years.
“There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex”, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement accompanying the directive, which is being sent to school districts Friday. But a school must allow transgender students to access housing consistent with their gender identity and may not require transgender students to stay in single-occupancy accommodations or to disclose personal information when not required of other students.
As soon as a child’s parent or legal guardian asserts a gender identity for the student that “differs from previous representations or records”, the letter says, the child is to be treated accordingly – without any requirement for a medical diagnosis or birth certificate to be produced.
“Slaton ISD says they haven’t made any administrative changes they will review their policies based on what’s best for their community.”
North Carolina’s Republican Gov.
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Single-Sex Schools. Title IX does not apply to the admissions policies of certain educational institutions, including nonvocational elementary and secondary schools, and private undergraduate colleges. His administration sued the federal government hours before the state itself was sued.
