A Northeast Ohio member of the Ohio Board of Education wants local districts to decide for themselves how to handle bathroom policies for transgender students. Sarah Fowler of Rock Creek proposed Tuesday that local school boards be given an alternative to an Obama administration recommendation.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education and the Justice Department sent a letter of guidance to schools, instructing them to allow students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.
Fowler wants the state board to send each district in the state a copy of a response by Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine. In the letter, the A.G. calls the federal guidance “unlawful and ill-advised.”
"The intent of that resolution is to provide guidance to local school districts sothey can have information available on both sides of the topic -- or all sides. There are so many issues at hand that they need to be aware of to be able to make an informed decision."
The Ohio Board Of Education voted to discuss the issue at a future meeting of its executive committee.