As the Obama administration directs school districts around the country to make sure they protect the rights of transgender students, local education officials say that's already happening in Monroe County.
Sherry Johnson, head of the Monroe County School Boards Association, says school districts in Monroe County started adopting policies as early as 2012 to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and other facilities that match their gender identity.
"So, for us, this is not anything new, different, or out of the ordinary. We've just been making sure that our students are treated accordingly based on the law and the guidance we're being provided from the State Education Department and our own codes of conduct.”
Johnson said New York's Dignity for All Students Act, which went into effect in 2012, defined that gender expression is protected under Title IX.
"School districts are expected to permit transgender and gender nonconforming students to use a restroom matching their gender identity, and find ways to create private areas and communal changing areas. So, while they can find a unisex or private changing space upon request, they can't present that as the only option."
Johnson said the State Education Department is now focused on helping local school districts effectively communicate their policies to students and parents.
Steve Carling, associate legal counsel for the Rochester City School District, said the district routinely accommodates individuals with requests related to their gender identity. He said this has not generated any serious conflict within the school community.
"It's not just our students, either; we actually dealt with this with an employee last year. That's where we thought we might have more of a response, but the community response was actually very good."
Carling said while the focus recently has been on access to public bathrooms, assuring the comfort of transgender students is more broad that that, and includes participation in sports, respecting the privacy of all students and staff, and building acceptance and understanding within the school community. Carling said the district has, in some instances, utilized the training program offered by the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley.
Last year, the Christian advocacy group the Alliance Defending Freedom asked Leroy High School to stop allowing a transgender student to use the boys' locker rooms and restrooms. The group said the district's transgender policy threatened student safety, parental authority, religious freedom, and the learning environment.
