Georgia joins lawsuit to overturn Obama directive on transgender school bathrooms
Georgia is among 11 states suing the Obama administration to overturn a federal directive to schools that they allow transgender students to use the bathroom matching their gender identity.
That official "guidance" delivered earlier this month created a furor among some school districts and parents. The letter from the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to schools was striking back at a North Carolina law requiring transgender people to use the public restroom at schools and other public places that matches the sex on their birth certificates.
Lawmakers in Georgia vowed to fight the White House directive, while Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods said the question should be decided by each district.
"My first priority is to ensure our schools are a safe environment for students. I believe there are safety and privacy concerns associated with allowing students of different genders to use the same bathroom and locker rooms. For that reason, I do not believe a student of another gender should use a restroom or locker room alongside students of the opposite sex," said Woods.
The lawsuit accuses the Obama administration of "running roughshod over commonsense policies" that protect children. It asks a judge to declare the directive unlawful.
About the Author
Maureen Downey has written editorials and opinion pieces about local, state and federal education policy since the 1990s.
