Missouri school to allow transgender student to use girls' facilities
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Version 0 of 1. When a transgender high school student in Missouri received backlash for her request to use the girls’ bathroom and locker room, she found one very important ally: the school board, which granted her permission to use the facilities. According to Kelli Hopkins of the Missouri school board’s association, 17-year-old Lila Perry has been granted her request because of recent guidance issued by the US Department of Education. While there is no “policy per se on transgender students use of bathrooms”, Hopkins said, there is a policy that says “districts cannot discriminate against students based on their gender”. “The Office of Civil Rights of the US Department of Education has said not allowing a transgendered student to use the restroom of the gender of which they identify can be illegal discrimination under Title IX because it’s based on gender. It is their position,” Hopkins said. The district’s superintendent, Aaron D Cornman, issued a statement that said the district “accepts all students no matter race, nationality/ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. We will promote tolerance and acceptance of all students that attend our district while not tolerating bullying/harassing behaviors of any type in any form.” Despite the school’s support, Perry has seen some backlash from fellow students and parents at Hillsboro high school. Over 100 students protested the decision by walking out of class on Monday. And parents were vocal about their disagreement at a school board meeting on Thursday that had to be moved to a new location because so many people showed up. “The girls have rights, and they shouldn’t have to share a bathroom with a boy,” Tammy Sorden, who has a son at Hillsboro, told St Louis Today. Sorden said that it’s not right to give Perry special treatment “while the girls just have to suck it up”. However, some members of the student body have risen to Perry’s defense. The high school’s gay-straight alliance and other supporters had their own protest to support Perry, according to the Associated Press. Skyla Thompson, who told the AP that Perry is her best friend, said Perry is “such a good person”. “They are just judging her on the outside,” Skyla said about those who have criticized Perry. “It feels really awful that people are going to these extremes against me, not just in school but all over the internet,” Perry told the New York Times. “But I’ve also received so much support. It feels really surreal to be in the middle of all of this.” |