State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister called President Obama's directive on transgender students and school bathroom use an “outrageous overreach”.
The Obama Administration issued a directive on Friday saying schools must allow transgender students to access the bathroom facilities that are consistent with their gender identity. So, if a person was born female, but identifies as a male, they should be allowed to use the male bathroom. Also, schools may not force transgender students to use facilities inconsistent with their gender identity or to use individual-user facilities when other students are not required to do so.
Hofmeister released a response, saying:
“I believe this is an outrageous overreach by the federal government. It nearly defies belief that the Obama Administration now wants to direct how Oklahoma schools and districts operate our bathrooms. Furthermore, I find it disturbing that this ‘joint guidance’ carries an implicit threat of loss of federal funds. In the midst of a historic funding crisis for public education, schools should not be burdened with this sort of overreach yet again.
“Educators have a responsibility to ensure that every child is safe, treated with respect, and given the opportunity to learn. Oklahoma schools know the needs of our students and communities, and meeting those needs should solely remain a matter of local control.”
Under Title IX, a comprehensive federal law, no person shall be discriminated against in any education program or activity. Schools that don’t comply with the law could risk losing their federal funding.
