Kansas education board rejects Obama's transgender bathroom directive
In a unanimous decision, the Kansas State Board of Education voted Tuesday, June 14 to ignore the directive issued by Pres. Barack Obama in May stating all public schools should allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity.
The board said it is best to let the local schools handle issues regarding transgender students, including issues about bathroom policies, reports WIBW.
"In Kansas, like many other states, our schools have been addressing transgender student needs with sensitivity and success for many years ... With that understanding, we are firm in our belief that decision about the care, safety and well-being of all students are best made by the local school district based on the needs and desires of the students, parents and communities they serve," the board said in a statement.
The board further said that the federal directive on transgender bathroom policy takes away the local schools' control to address such issues. With each case being unique, schools should be allowed the flexibility to deal with different situations as they arise, the board explained.
"We respectfully appreciate the directive but will continue to do what we have done for years in handling transgender issues locally," said Steve Roberts, a State Board District 2 representative.
The State Board of Education's decision to reject the directive could cost them around $479 million in federal funding. However, Scott Gordon, the board's general counsel, said the board's stance on the transgender bathroom policy could not endanger the funds for the whole state, especially if only one school does not comply with the directive.
Gordon told the Associated Press that in 2015, only one transgender student filed a discrimination complaint. He said that having just one person file a complaint is already evidence that local schools are adequately addressing transgender issues.
At present, 11 states led by Texas have filed a lawsuit against Obama's administration for issuing the transgender bathroom directive for public schools, which they say has no legal basis.
