Another local school district says it is making accommodations for a transgender student who wants to use the restroom and locker room that align with her gender identity.
This issue recently came up in the Sodus School District.
On April 2, parents of Brockport High School students were notified that a transgender student had asked for access to the girls' locker room and restroom.
School superintendent Lesli Myers says the student's classmates have been supportive.
"They have talked to the transgender student and they want to know which locker room she's using because they want to show support. We have a very supportive community. It doesn't take away from the fact that we certainly have community members who are concerned, who don't agree with a transgendered student. Again, we have a responsibility to accommodate any student."
Myers says any high school student who is uncomfortable with the arrangement will be able to use a different bathroom or locker room.
She says the district is adhering to both federal and state education law. Myers said she and her staff spoke about its plans with district attorneys, other school districts, and the Gay Alliance.
Rowan Collins is the Education Coordinator for the Rochester Gay Alliance. He says their overall experience working with Brockport was extremely positive, but doesn't think the district should have felt compelled to notify parents throughout the district by sending letters home.
"It makes it a district-wide issue when it shouldn't have to be. It opens up the student and their family to harassment, to potential finger-pointing."
Collins says the Gay Alliance does look forward to continuing to work with Brockport administrators, who he thinks acted with good intentions. He says creating a more safe, tolerant, and inclusive environment for everyone can be complicated, but creating a spectacle out of such a personal experience is counter productive.
