White House gives directive to schools on transgender bathroom access
A letter issued by the White House Friday directs public schools nationwide to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says the letter, addressed “Dear Colleague”, is in response to requests from educators.
“They’re not interested in a political argument,” Earnest says. “They’re actually interested in practical suggestions about how they confront this challenge that they face everyday.”
The joint guidance by the Justice and Education departments aims to protect transgender students from discrimination by letting them use the bathrooms and locker rooms that match their current gender identity.
The guidelines are have no legal bearing, but there is the threat of lawsuits and funding cuts.
47ABC spoke to a number of local residents Friday, and the move was cheered by some.
“If they use the girl’s room, if they pretty much dress as a girl because they identify with being a girl, they’re going to be much more comfortable and all the girls are going to be much more comfortable,” says Cambridge resident Richard Bearman.
Frankford resident Billie Palmer says she also agrees with the guidance, telling 47ABC “I think you should be able to use the bathroom you’re most comfortable with.”
There was also plenty of criticism.
Maryland District 1 Representative Andy Harris issued a statement to 47ABC which read “Once again, the Administration is misinterpreting federal law. This Administration is out of control when it comes to states rights.”
Salisbury resident Debra Medley tells us she does not agree with the new measure.
“My six year old, I would not want her in there with another person that has another part. That’s not how it is,” says Medley. “It’s not a public bathroom. If it says women, it’s for women. If it says men, it’s for men.”
As for Wicomico County Public Schools, superintendent Dr. John Fredericksen tells 47ABC they already offer flexibility to transgender students. An example includes allowing them to use separate bathrooms attached to the nurses’ offices. According to Dr. Fredericksen, this alternative has been well-received as far as he knows.
He also tells 47ABC, they plan to work with the state moving forward.
“The state department of education for Maryland has asked that we wait for a little while before we really make final decisions in terms of the details of how we do that, because we need to actually write policies so we can be guided by policies and procedures,” He explains.
Dr. Fredericksen also tells us they anticipated something like this would happen, so they have made arrangements with a specialist from the state’s Department of Education. This July, that specialist is expected to come and train local staff members on addressing transgender issues.
Under this guidance, there is also no obligation for a student to present a specific medical diagnosis or identification documents that reflect their gender identity.
For a full copy of the letter, click here.
