SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Gavin Grimm, a Virginia teen who filed suit against the Gloucester County school board for blocking his use of the boys' bathroom. (Photo: Geoff Livingston/flickr/cc)
Trump's Department of Education Admits It Actively Doesn't Care About Transgender Students
Confirming suspicions that it was not pursuing discrimination complaints, administration accused of refusing to "recognize the basic human and civil rights of transgender students."
Feb 12, 2018
Trump's Education Department said it will not it will not investigate or act on complaints from transgender students who charge they were barred from using a bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
The Department clarified the position to BuzzFeed News, which first reported it Monday.
"Once again, Secretary DeVos proves she is not interested in protecting transgender students and instead is choosing to advance the dangerous Trump-Pence anti-LGBTQ agenda."
--Sarah Warbelow, HRCLast February, the Trump administration withdrew Obama-era guidance that instructed schools to allow transgender students access to bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity, and in June the department indicated it may dismiss some cases related to trans students' bathroom access.
Attempting to clarify the department's position, education department spokesperson Liz Hill told BuzzFeed Thursday, "yes, that's what the law says" when asked again if the department believes that transgender students are not covered by Title IX, a federal anti-discrimination law.
Hill added Friday, "Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, not gender identity."
According to Hill, "long-standing regulations provide that separating facilities on the basis of sex is not a form of discrimination prohibited by Title IX."
That stance is in direct opposition to what two federal appeals courts found.
"While civil rights advocates have suspected that the Department of Education was not acting on complaints brought forward by transgender students, reports that these violations are completely being ignored are reprehensible," said Sarah Warbelow, legal director at advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
"The department's failure to act conflicts with the law in multiple jurisdictions, including federal circuits, and further emboldens those who seek to discriminate against transgender students. Once again, Secretary [Betsy] DeVos proves she is not interested in protecting transgender students and instead is choosing to advance the dangerous Trump-Pence anti-LGBTQ agenda," she said.
The new report comes a week after the parents of over 700 transgender students across the country wrote (pdf) to DeVos to express their "outrage and deep concern over the repeated injustices committed by the Trump-Pence Administration's Department of Education against transgender students."
"For those transgender youth who spend entire school days without access to a restroom, often foregoing food and water in order to avoid the need for using one, equal access to education is an impossibility. We urge and implore you to see the urgency of these concerns," they concluded, "and to recognize the basic human and civil rights of transgender students."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Trump's Education Department said it will not it will not investigate or act on complaints from transgender students who charge they were barred from using a bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
The Department clarified the position to BuzzFeed News, which first reported it Monday.
"Once again, Secretary DeVos proves she is not interested in protecting transgender students and instead is choosing to advance the dangerous Trump-Pence anti-LGBTQ agenda."
--Sarah Warbelow, HRCLast February, the Trump administration withdrew Obama-era guidance that instructed schools to allow transgender students access to bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity, and in June the department indicated it may dismiss some cases related to trans students' bathroom access.
Attempting to clarify the department's position, education department spokesperson Liz Hill told BuzzFeed Thursday, "yes, that's what the law says" when asked again if the department believes that transgender students are not covered by Title IX, a federal anti-discrimination law.
Hill added Friday, "Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, not gender identity."
According to Hill, "long-standing regulations provide that separating facilities on the basis of sex is not a form of discrimination prohibited by Title IX."
That stance is in direct opposition to what two federal appeals courts found.
"While civil rights advocates have suspected that the Department of Education was not acting on complaints brought forward by transgender students, reports that these violations are completely being ignored are reprehensible," said Sarah Warbelow, legal director at advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
"The department's failure to act conflicts with the law in multiple jurisdictions, including federal circuits, and further emboldens those who seek to discriminate against transgender students. Once again, Secretary [Betsy] DeVos proves she is not interested in protecting transgender students and instead is choosing to advance the dangerous Trump-Pence anti-LGBTQ agenda," she said.
The new report comes a week after the parents of over 700 transgender students across the country wrote (pdf) to DeVos to express their "outrage and deep concern over the repeated injustices committed by the Trump-Pence Administration's Department of Education against transgender students."
"For those transgender youth who spend entire school days without access to a restroom, often foregoing food and water in order to avoid the need for using one, equal access to education is an impossibility. We urge and implore you to see the urgency of these concerns," they concluded, "and to recognize the basic human and civil rights of transgender students."
Trump's Education Department said it will not it will not investigate or act on complaints from transgender students who charge they were barred from using a bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
The Department clarified the position to BuzzFeed News, which first reported it Monday.
"Once again, Secretary DeVos proves she is not interested in protecting transgender students and instead is choosing to advance the dangerous Trump-Pence anti-LGBTQ agenda."
--Sarah Warbelow, HRCLast February, the Trump administration withdrew Obama-era guidance that instructed schools to allow transgender students access to bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity, and in June the department indicated it may dismiss some cases related to trans students' bathroom access.
Attempting to clarify the department's position, education department spokesperson Liz Hill told BuzzFeed Thursday, "yes, that's what the law says" when asked again if the department believes that transgender students are not covered by Title IX, a federal anti-discrimination law.
Hill added Friday, "Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, not gender identity."
According to Hill, "long-standing regulations provide that separating facilities on the basis of sex is not a form of discrimination prohibited by Title IX."
That stance is in direct opposition to what two federal appeals courts found.
"While civil rights advocates have suspected that the Department of Education was not acting on complaints brought forward by transgender students, reports that these violations are completely being ignored are reprehensible," said Sarah Warbelow, legal director at advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
"The department's failure to act conflicts with the law in multiple jurisdictions, including federal circuits, and further emboldens those who seek to discriminate against transgender students. Once again, Secretary [Betsy] DeVos proves she is not interested in protecting transgender students and instead is choosing to advance the dangerous Trump-Pence anti-LGBTQ agenda," she said.
The new report comes a week after the parents of over 700 transgender students across the country wrote (pdf) to DeVos to express their "outrage and deep concern over the repeated injustices committed by the Trump-Pence Administration's Department of Education against transgender students."
"For those transgender youth who spend entire school days without access to a restroom, often foregoing food and water in order to avoid the need for using one, equal access to education is an impossibility. We urge and implore you to see the urgency of these concerns," they concluded, "and to recognize the basic human and civil rights of transgender students."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy