5/14/2016

HelpingSchoolsEnsuretheCivilRightsofTransgenderStudents|OPA|DepartmentofJustice

HELPINGSCHOOLSENSURETHECIVILRIGHTSOFTRANSGENDER
STUDENTS
May13,2016
CourtesyofPrincipalDeputyAssistantAttorneyGeneralVanitaGupta,headoftheJusticeDepartmentsCivil
RightsDivision,andDepartmentofEducationAssistantSecretaryforCivilRightsCatherineE.Lhamon
BythetimeLandonahighschoolstudentinMassachusettsenteredhisfreshmanyear,hehadalready
beeninandoutofthehospitalformultiplesuicideattempts.Hehadbeenpulledoutofschoolbecausehe
wasntabletogetthroughthedayandheneededmedicationtosleep.
Today,Landonisbackinschoolavocationalschoolhetransferredtoasasophomore,aftercomingoutto
friendsandfamilyasatransgenderboyandthingshavegottenalittleeasierforhim.Landonsnewschool
iscommittedtotreatingeverystudentwithdignityandrespect,andtogethertheyhavefoundwaystoallow
Landontosurviveandthriveinhisnewsurroundings.Butgettingtherehastakentimeandthepathhasnt
alwaysbeenclear.
Inrecentmonths,weveheardfromagrowingchorusofeducators,parentsandstudentsaroundthecountry
abouttheneedforguidanceonhowschoolscansuccessfullysupporttransgenderstudentsandnon
transgenderstudentsincompliancewithfederalcivilrightslaws.Infact,justthisweek,theNational
AssociationofSecondarySchoolPrincipalscalledfortheDepartmentofEducationtoreleaseguidanceand
bestpracticesoncreatinganinclusiveandrespectfulenvironment.Schoolswanttodorightbyalloftheir
studentsandhavelookedtoustoprovideclarityonstepstheycantaketoensurethateverystudentis
comfortableattheirschool,isinanenvironmentfreeofdiscriminationandhasanopportunitytothrive.
Today,inresponsetothoserequests,theU.S.DepartmentsofJusticeandEducationreleasedjointguidance
toschoolsexplaininghowfederallawprohibitingsexdiscriminationaffectsschoolsobligationstoward
transgenderstudents.TheDepartmentofEducationalsoreleasedacompilationofexamplesofwaysthat
schoolsacrossthecountryarealreadysuccessfullysupportingtransgenderstudents.
TheresourceswereleasedtodaygiveschoolslikeLandonstheguidancetheyvebeenaskingfortonavigate
issuestheymaybeconfrontingforthefirsttime.Thedepartmentslegalguidanceidentifiesthekey
requirementsthatschoolsneedtokeepinmindtocomplywithTitleIXandotherfederallaws.Thecompanion
documentoffersreallifeexamplesofhowschoolsaremakingsuretransgenderandallstudentshaveasafe
andrespectfullearningenvironment.Bothdocumentsshowthatprotectingtransgenderstudentsrighttobe
whotheyaredoesnotharmotherstudentsinstead,theyshowthatequalityfortransgenderstudentsisnot
onlyrequiredbylawbutachievablethroughcommonsenseapproachesthatfostersafetyandapositive
learningenvironmentforallstudents.
Thedocumentsaddresscommonquestionslikehowtohandleeducationalrecordsoftransgenderstudents
andhowtoaddressharassmentoftransgenderstudents.Theyalsohighlightsensiblewaysthatschools
aroundthecountryhavebeenabletoaddressconcernsfromotherstudentsandparentswithoutinfringing
upontransgenderstudentscivilrights.Theguidancedoesnotrequireanystudenttousesharedbathrooms
orchangingspaces,when,forexample,thereareotherappropriateoptionsavailableandschoolscanalso
takestepstoincreaseprivacywithinsharedfacilities.AnditreiteratesthatTitleIXdoesnotprohibit
medicallyandscientificallysoundrequirementstoensurephysicalsafetyandcompetitivefairnessinschool
sports.
Takentogether,wehopethesenewresourcesprovideclarityforeveryonefromstateandlocalleadersto
https://www.justice.gov/opa/blog/helpingschoolsensurecivilrightstransgenderstudents

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5/14/2016

HelpingSchoolsEnsuretheCivilRightsofTransgenderStudents|OPA|DepartmentofJustice

educatorstostudentsandfamiliesabouthowtocreateasafe,welcomingandsupportivelearning
environmentforeverystudent.
DearColleagueLetteronTransgenderStudents
ExamplesofPoliciesandEmergingPracticesforSupportingTransgenderStudents
Topic(s):
CivilRights
Postedin:
CivilRightsDivision
UpdatedMay13,2016

https://www.justice.gov/opa/blog/helpingschoolsensurecivilrightstransgenderstudents

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