This week, Matt Baume takes a vigilant look at how Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos could imperil the nation's LGBT students.
DeVos had a tumultuous confirmation process that resulted in an unprecedented tie-breaking vote in the Senate for a Cabinet nominee and so far her tenure has gotten off to a rocky start. Baume reviews what already made her a controversial pick, namely her history as an aggressive lobbyist for school privatization and her affiliation with numerous anti-LGBT groups and causes, and expands on how her new role could allow her to strip away protections for LGBT students.
RELATED: Betsy DeVos Blocked from Entering DC School, Shamed by Protesters: WATCH
In particular, the Department of Education's civil rights office, which has propogated anti-bullying requirements, could be stilled or even shut down. Furthermore, the DOE could pull funding from schools with robust nondiscrimination policies. It could also redefine its approach to LGBT identity among students as a “phase” or even mental illness not to be taken seriously or accomodated.
Baume runs through the troubling list here:
