Amongst the talk of possible school closures in the Kansas Legislature and Supreme Court, there is another issue that is quietly garnering some attention of its own.

Transgender students in public schools across the country celebrated after President Obama’s  mandate forcing schools and public venues across the country to allow transgende
red persons the right to use the [restroom] facilities of their gender identity rather than their gender at birth, even if it is contrary to their current anatomy.

States quickly began to show their displeasure with the law and disregarded the President’s action for the LBGTQ community. North Carolina, Mississippi and Texas are amongst the eleven states suing the federal government.

How does this affect Kansans?

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced last week the intent to legally challenge the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education on the directive.

Schmidt has not yet decided to challenge the directive with the eleven other states that have filed suit, or to file separately.

Scmidt says, “In our federal system of government, not every decision needs to be handed down from Washington, and this is a matter best left to state or local authorities, including school boards, as it traditionally has been – and as the law requires.”

In a media release from Governor Sam Brownback shortly after the Obama administration’s order, he said the following:  “The recent guidance letter sent from President Obama’s administration is an unprecedented example of executive over-reach.  This attempt to federalize local school board decisions by threatening legal action or denial of federal funding is wrong.”

Brownback goes on to say that “states, not the federal government have the primary responsibility for directing education policy.

What is the policy in our community?

Dr. Corbin Witt, Superintendent for USD 475 said, “We’re prepared to follow whatever guidelines are out there, right now we just try to meet the needs of every student and what their needs are and we have transgender students in our district and right now we have enough restroom facilities that they can use whatever restroom they feel comfortable [with].”

“Comfortable” is the operative word here. For the many who view the LGBTQ causes as near and dear to their heart, there are just as many whom do not feel comfortable with being exposed to, having their children exposed to or plainly put – sharing a restroom with someone whom is anatomically not their same gender.

Witt says that issues like these have not arisen yet in the district, but the goal is to make everyone feel comfortable.

“What we try to do is have enough individual restrooms to try to meet the needs of [the students] and giving them the ability to go to the individual restroom if they need to.  We really haven’t had any issues at the high school level with sports and locker rooms,” says Witt.

If an issue were to arise in our district, with the threat of school closures looming overhead Witt says there isn’t much that can be done.

“Whatever guidelines come out is what we will have to follow because in our district if they threaten to take away federal funding [it would be very bad], especially in our district with Fort Riley that is a large part of our funding so we do have to follow federal mandates and we’ll find a way to make it work,” says Witt.

With President Obama’s “executive overreach” as Brownback puts it, there is the potential for some backlash in Kansas. If the state chooses to ignore the order and leave this sensitive decision up to the “local school boards” there is a possibility of Kansas feeling a financial pinch by protestors.

In states like North Carolina, revenues by way of concerts, and performances and special events have been cancelled due to the state’s views on transgender restroom rights.

Could this happen to Kansas if the state chooses not to follow suit?

 

In late May senators voted 30-8 for a non-binding resolution condemning the federal mandate.

Should states be forced to follow the mandate? Do we need gender neutral restrooms in USD 475 schools?

What side of the debate are you on?

 

 

 

Contact me: dee.mcdougald@eagleradio.net