Akron Public Schools officials are saying the district will continue to accommodate transgender students, even after President Donald Trump removed federal guidelines with incentives to do so.
The guidelines were given in a joint letter from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice under President Obama. The document argues that a student’s gender identity and biological sex are equally protected under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. The letter also ties a school’s federal funding to compliance with non-discrimination laws.
Akron Public School officials say the district has worked with parents on a case-by-case basis, even before the guidelines were issued. In some instances, transgender children would use staff restrooms. A district spokesman says only a handful of parents complained about the Obama administration’s directive.
The district says it will continue to accommodate transgender students, because the Trump order “simply takes the responsibility and puts it in the hands of local districts and states.”
