CHANUTE — USD 413 schools risk losing federal funds if the board of education refuses to allow transgender students the restroom of their choice. At issue are two CHS transgender students and their alleged misuse of the girls locker room and restrooms, according to the Chanute Tribune.
Federal law requires public schools to respect an individual’s sexual orientation and prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity.
The U.S. Department of Education’s June 2021 statement is based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2020 in which the justices upheld the right for LGBTQ+ people and students to live and work without fear of harassment, exclusion and discrimination and that schools should strive to create learning environments that enable all students to succeed, regardless of their gender identity of sexual orientation.
Seven patrons, including two students, spoke out against providing transgender students such protections at the district’s September school board meeting.
Kellen Adams, superintendent of schools, advised board members the district is at risk of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars if it goes against Title IX, the 1972 statute that guards against sex discrimination in any number of educational arenas, including sports, according to The Tribune.
Adams said the district has spent months grappling with a budget shortfall and a decline in enrollment, further complicating issues, according to the Tribune’s report.
Adams said he will apprise the board of the district’s options before its Oct. 3 meeting.
Board member Ross Hendrickson maintained that the issue is a “local issue” and took umbrage that “the federal government has essentially stripped local boards of such decisions.”
