Local school administrators trying to deal with transgender bathroom issue
Area school district administrators say they are working to determine what bathrooms and locker rooms transgender students should use after the Trump administration last week reversed guidance by the Obama administration about the issue, removing federal protections that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities.
The reversal will allow states and districts to determine how to handle what has become a controversial issue and led to multiple lawsuits.
Belle Vernon Superintendent John Wilkinson said the district started to investigate the matter about six months ago, but does not yet have a policy in place.
“It’s a delicate situation,” he said. “We care about every single kid in our district and want to do right by all of them.”
Wilkinson said the district would welcome guidance from the state Department of Education about how to handle the issue, but has not received any yet.
Canon-McMillan School District is also waiting for guidance from the state.
“We are waiting for the state to hand down what its policy will be,” said Superintendent Michael Daniels. “Until then, we are just going to continue to meet the needs of all of our students.”
Daniels said the district takes the appropriate measures on a case-by-case basis. He said Canon-McMillan has dealt with the issue before, but declined to elaborate on how the district handled it.
Pennsylvania Department of Education deputy communication director Casey Smith said in a statement Monday that the department is reviewing the Trump administration guidance. The department is working closely with Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to ensure the protection of all students in schools across the commonwealth, no matter their race, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, she said.
“Gov. Wolf is committed to ensuring Pennsylvania remains a place where everyone feels welcome, and those protections must extend to our classrooms and schools,” Smith said, adding that a bias and discrimination prevention planning toolkit is being finalized and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Prior to Trump’s reversal last week, Central Greene School District Superintendent Brian Uplinger sent samples of different policies about which bathrooms and locker rooms transgender students should use to the district’s high school guidance counselors and principals.
That will begin a discussion of what the district should do, he said. From there, a recommendation will be made to the district’s policy committee.
“Eventually, we will make a recommendation to the school board,” Uplinger said, adding that it’s too soon to know what that recommendation will be.
After a recommendation is made to the board, Uplinger said it would take at least two months for approval.
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association said on its website that it is still unable to issue a policy guide about which bathrooms and locker rooms transgender students should use. The law is not only unsettled, but there are active cases supporting opposite views.
“For this reason, we have urged local school districts to develop procedures to work with transgender students,” PSBA’s legal update states. “If a local school district wishes to adopt policy, we recommend they do so in consultation with their solicitor and the community.”
It’s also an issue that institutions of higher learning are addressing.
Washington & Jefferson College has gender-neutral housing.
“These housing options are available for W&J students in the majority of our campus residence halls and include about 30 gender-neutral bathrooms,” said Eva Chatterjee-Sutton, vice president of student life and dean of students. “In our ongoing efforts to make W&J welcoming to all students, our plan is that any future construction on campus will include gender-neutral restrooms.”
The U.S. departments of Education and Justice said in the letter to the nation’s schools last week that the withdrawal of guidance documents does not leave students without protections from discrimination, bullying or harassment.
“All schools must ensure that all students, including LGBT students, are able to learn and thrive in a safe environment,” the letter stated.