Cherokee Schools Reviewing Transgender Bathroom Directive

CANTON, GA -- Just days after President Barack Obama issued a directive encouraging schools to allow transgender students to use restroom facilities that match their gender identity, local school systems are working to determine how they should proceed with the news.

In the Cherokee County School District, Superintendent Dr. Brian Hightower and his leadership team are in the midst of reviewing information from "the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education with the school district’s attorney to determine if any changes to practice or policy are needed at this time," spokesperson Barbara Jacoby said.

On Friday, a joint letter from both federal agencies said transgender students should be allowed to use bathrooms matching their gender identity.

One system, Gwinnett County Schools, on Monday said it continue to provide traditional bathrooms as well as making gender neutral restrooms available for its students.

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Last week, parents in Fannin County held a prayer meeting at a Baptist church in Blue Ridge before voicing their concerns to the school board.

Some told the school board they're opposed to allowing transgender students to use restrooms of the gender they identify with, while others, according to Fox 5 Atlanta, were in support of the idea. Both Atlanta Public and DeKalb County schools have also issued statements on the topic.

Cherokee County, Jacoby continued, "has successfully accommodated transgender students by developing a plan with the student, parents and school administration that maintains privacy and respect for each individual student."

The system does not have formal policy on the topic, but its practice is for school administrators to meet with transgender students and that pupil's parents to address concerns "in regard to issues ranging from how the student is addressed to which facilities the student will use."

"Transgender students do currently attend CCSD schools; there are no students – transgender or not -- who use a bathroom or locker room for the opposite gender from their physical gender," Jacoby said. "Some transgender students have requested use of single-stall, gender neutral facilities, and that access has been granted."

Jacoby added that if any policy changes are needed at the local level, those recommendations will be presented to the school board for consideration. Like any policy change, that proposal would be published online a week in advance of the board's meeting so the public can review those revisions.

Those changes, she added, would require votes of approval at two meetings before they can be formally adopted. Public comment will be allowed at each meeting. With that said, Jacoby said the issue will not be placed on the board's May 19 meeting for consideration.

"The school district’s decisions about how to best serve each student are based on what is in the best interest of each individual student’s safety, well-being and academic success," she added.

Patch editors Tim Darnell and Doug Gross contributed to this report.