An Illinois suburban school district will allow transgender students to have full access to school locker rooms, regardless of their biological sex.
The Palatine-Schaumburg School District recently voted to expand locker room rules, granted transgender students access to their respective locker rooms, according to how they identify.
The move to loosen the rules of the use of locker rooms comes after transgender students sued the school district on grounds of discrimination.
One transgender student claims to have been forced to use an empty locker room, that no one else had use, by the school in light of their gender identity.
The student, who went by the name Nova Maday, says that as a freshman in 2017, they were forced to use a private area or nurse’s office to change.
According to Fox 32:
“This was isolating and drew attention to me that I didn’t want. The walk from the separate locker room to the gym class was humiliating and made me feel like the district did not acknowledge me as the girl I am,” she said.
The new rules will allow transgender students ‘unrestricted’ access to the locker room they deem fittest.
CBS local reported:
…the Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board on Thursday voted to give transgender students unrestricted access to locker rooms and restrooms. The vote was 5-2.
The district’s superintendent said this policy doesn’t mean anyone can just go into any locker room or restroom at any time. The policy requires a student and parent to have communication with the district and come up with a plan.
The issue dates back as far as 2015, where a transgender student felt discriminated against for failing to be awarded the access they felt they deserved.
CBS continues:
The federal Office of Civil Rights at the time said that was a violation of non-discrimination law and give the district 30 days to comply or else jeopardize its Title IX funding.
The district reached an agreement with the government and allowed that student to use a private changing stall in the girls’ locker room, but did not adopt a district-wide policy on the issue, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
In spite of the agreement, parents and administrators must reach a plan before proceeding with choosing a locker room for their child.
