• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Politics
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Gay Pride
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Men
  • Space
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Monkeypox
  • Film/TV

Dept. of Education, ACLU, and Chicago-Area School District at War Over Transgender Student

Andy Towle December 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

Over the past few months we’ve been reporting on Suburban Chicago’s Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, which decided to defy a U.S. Department of Education ruling and discriminate against a transgender student by barring her from the female locker room.

Dan Cates
Superintendent dan cates

The school’s decision risked the school district $6 million in federal funding until last week, when the school district reached a settlement with the Department of Education:

The five-page settlement says, in part, that “based on Student A’s representation that she will change in private changing stations in the girls’ locker rooms, the District agrees to provide Student A access to locker room facilities designated for female students at school and to take steps to protect the privacy of its students by installing and maintaining sufficient privacy curtains (private changing stations) within the girls’ locker rooms to accommodate Student A and any students who wish to be assured of privacy while changing.”

Now, school officials are saying they might back out of the deal because they are furious about how the deal has been portrayed to the media, and over a hypothetical: what if Student A doesn’t use the privacy curtains (which btw, she says she will).

Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education, spoke with the media earlier this week, calling the agreement a “civil rights victory for all of us.”

“I think each of us is diminished when we deprive somebody of civil rights, and I think this is a great day for students in the district and for students around the country to recognize that the federal government is here to support your rights,” Lhamon said.

RELATED: U.S. Dept. of Education Issues Landmark Ruling Against Transphobic Chicago-Area School District

Lhamon’s characterization of the settlement started off a new round of fireworks:

Statement by Township High School District 211 Superintendent Daniel Cates

On the heels of what was an appropriate and balanced approach to resolving an important issue of access to our locker rooms by one transgender student, we are outraged by the mischaracterizations in the press by Catherine Lhamon of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and her blatant disregard for the facts of the negotiated agreement.

The OCR appears to be stating to the media what they wish was in the agreement, rather than what was actually agreed upon by both OCR and the District 211 Board of Education – and this, after countless hours of listening, reviewing and careful consideration.

It is wrong, it is an act of bad faith, and our school district will not let it stand.

To be clear, what was agreed upon between District 211 and the OCR struck a critical balance for safeguarding the privacy of all students, recognizing the dignity of all students, and allowing all students to participate fully in our education programs.

The resolution agreement’s provisions on locker room access, approved by our School Board just 36 hours ago, apply ONLY to the student who lodged the complaint. It does not apply district-wide, nor set precedent for other school districts in the country. It gives this student access to the gender-identified locker room with this student’s stated assurance that privacy curtains will be used. And, if this student doesn’t comply, access will no longer be allowed. The agreement also removes the threat of the loss of federal funds and states that no violation of Title IX or discrimination by the District has occurred.

We communicated to the OCR that we expected a full retraction of their inaccurate portrayal of the agreement in the media. They refused. Failing that, we will convene an emergency board meeting to discuss taking action, including retraction of the agreement because the OCR acted in bad faith.

Citizens have a right to expect more from a federal agency than smoke and mirrors. The date, time, and location for the emergency Board of Education meeting will be posted on the District 211 website once it is established.

The ACLU, who is representing the student, responded:

Edwin C. Yohnka, ACLU of Illinois
Response to Statement by District 211 Superintendent Daniel Cates
December 4, 2015

Superintendent Cates’ intemperate and inflammatory statements this afternoon are disappointing. Clearly, the District remains committed to a path of discrimination and division, rather than moving toward healing, understanding and inclusion. In its letter of findings, OCR found the District in violation of Title IX for refusing to allow our client in the locker room unless she agreed to change behind a privacy curtain. Similarly, the resolution agreement fails to condition our client’s locker room access on whether she uses the privacy curtains.

Our client should be treated as every teenage girl, with the right to exercise her own sense of modesty and privacy. Threatening to cut off our client’s access to the locker room if she does not promise to use the privacy curtains exclusively simply moves her current segregation from a separate room to a space inside the locker room, as OCR already concluded.

After being caught in their repeated misrepresentations of this matter over several weeks, it is strange to see the District accuse someone else of acting in “bad faith” and engaging in “smoke and mirrors.” It is time to end this hostile and cynical public relations campaign and for the leadership of District 211 to create an open and welcoming environment for all students — as other school districts in Illinois and the nation have already done.

Developing…

Topics: Uncategorized More Posts About: aclu, Chicago, Discrimination, Transgender

Related Posts
  • Alabama Sued In Federal Court By Families, Doctors After Anti-Trans Healthcare Bill Signed Into Law
  • Man, woman or… X: US rolls out gender-neutral passports
  • Jussie Smollett Song Drops; Produced Since Prison Release Pending Appeal, ‘Thank You God’: LISTEN
  • Opinion: The Right-Wing Airing of Imaginary Grievances Like Sex Ed Is Not and Never Has Been Used To Groom

    Opinion: The Right-Wing Airing of Imaginary Grievances Like Sex Ed Is Not and Never Has Been Used To Groom

      Published by NJ.com   Let’s start this post off with a small bit of objective truth: There is no such thing as the widespread use of sexual education curriculum to groom young children. None. It …Read More »
  • Tan France gets parenting advice from Gigi Hadid

    Tan France gets parenting advice from Gigi Hadid

      Published by BANG Showbiz English   Tan France gets parenting tips from Gigi Hadid. The 39-year-old star and his husband Rob France welcomed their son Ismail into the world via surrogate last July and he’s …Read More »
  • U.S. health officials releasing some Jynneos vaccine doses for monkeypox – CDC

    U.S. health officials releasing some Jynneos vaccine doses for monkeypox – CDC

    Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. health officials are in the process of releasing some Jynneos vaccine doses for use in monkeypox cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday, adding there …Read More »
  • Dame Angela Lansbury to receive Lifetime Achievement gong at the Tonys

    Dame Angela Lansbury to receive Lifetime Achievement gong at the Tonys

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Dame Angela Lansbury is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement gong at the Tony Awards. The 96-year-old actress – who has won five Tonys during her career – will be honoured …Read More »
Previous Post: « Ellen Has Two Things to Say About the Glitter Beard Trend: Why and What the Hell? – WATCH
Next Post: Texas GOP Votes Down Secession, Moving GOP Convention Over LGBT Protections »

Primary Sidebar

News

  • Vladimir Putin’s TV Appearances ‘Staged’ As Russian Leader Continues To Suffer Worsening Health Problems

    Vladimir Putin’s TV Appearances ‘Staged’ As Russian Leader Continues To Suffer Worsening Health Problems

  • US flight brings tons of needed baby formula from Germany

    US flight brings tons of needed baby formula from Germany

  • Courtney Love apologises for ‘bullying’ Amber Heard

    Courtney Love apologises for ‘bullying’ Amber Heard

  • ‘Desperate To Chase His Lost Relevance’: Donald Trump SLAMS Mike Pence’s ‘Plans’ To Run For President In 2024

    ‘Desperate To Chase His Lost Relevance’: Donald Trump SLAMS Mike Pence’s ‘Plans’ To Run For President In 2024

Break

  • Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo and Noami Ackie join ‘Parasite’ Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s new movie And it Sounds Mind Blowing

    Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo and Noami Ackie join ‘Parasite’ Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s new movie And it Sounds Mind Blowing

  • Starbucks to completely exit Russia after Ukraine invasion

    Starbucks to completely exit Russia after Ukraine invasion

  • Evan Spiegel & Miranda Kerr Pay Off $10 Million In Loans Of Otis College’s Graduating Class

    Evan Spiegel & Miranda Kerr Pay Off $10 Million In Loans Of Otis College’s Graduating Class

  • Vladimir Putin’s Daughter SECRETLY Living In Germany With Man Named Igor Zelensky

    Vladimir Putin’s Daughter SECRETLY Living In Germany With Man Named Igor Zelensky

RSS Partner Links

  • Nick Cannon Doesn’t Think The Mothers Of His Eight Children Need To Get Along
  • Student Uses CURLY HAIR To Get Around Don't Say Gay + Gervais Jumps On Anti-Trans Bandwagon + Dorothy's Gingham Dress Yanked From Sale + MORE! — 12-PACK
  • OMG, LISTEN TO THIS: Madonna teams with Sickick for ‘Frozen’ remix ‘Frozen On Fire’
  • OMG, WATCH: Jinkx Monsoon paints a self portrait and talks about her big return to Drag Race
  • Chris Hemsworth Stripped Nude By Russell Crowe In THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Trailer
  • Birthday Sluts
  • Song of the Day: 'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me' by Eurythmics
  • Page 1 Roundup (05/24)
  • Tennis Tuesday

Most Recent

  • ‘The Kids in the Hall’ review: Sketch comedy is a young person’s game — yet here are older guys just ripping into the form as if they never left

    ‘The Kids in the Hall’ review: Sketch comedy is a young person’s game — yet here are older guys just ripping into the form as if they never left

  • Opinion: The Right-Wing Airing of Imaginary Grievances Like Sex Ed Is Not and Never Has Been Used To Groom

    Opinion: The Right-Wing Airing of Imaginary Grievances Like Sex Ed Is Not and Never Has Been Used To Groom

  • Tan France gets parenting advice from Gigi Hadid

    Tan France gets parenting advice from Gigi Hadid

  • U.S. health officials releasing some Jynneos vaccine doses for monkeypox – CDC

    U.S. health officials releasing some Jynneos vaccine doses for monkeypox – CDC

  • Dame Angela Lansbury to receive Lifetime Achievement gong at the Tonys

    Dame Angela Lansbury to receive Lifetime Achievement gong at the Tonys

  • Factbox: Seven races to watch in Georgia, Alabama midterm primaries, Texas run-offs

    Factbox: Seven races to watch in Georgia, Alabama midterm primaries, Texas run-offs

  • Cybill Shepherd supports Bruce Willis after aphasia diagnosis

    Cybill Shepherd supports Bruce Willis after aphasia diagnosis

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Log in