Transgender School Bathrooms: Battle Comes to Atlanta, Georgia

The nation's most controversial political topic has arrived in Atlanta and Georgia.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Education sent letters to every public school district in the country, providing guidelines on how transgender students should be accommodated and threatening a loss of federal funds for schools that aren't in compliance.

"No student should ever have to go through the experience of feeling unwelcome at school or on a college campus,” U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. said in a statement.

The letters come as several states have passed so-called "bathroom laws," some limiting and others opening up bathroom usage for individuals based on their birth sex or gender identity. In the most high-profile case, North Carolina and the Department of Justice have filed lawsuits against each other over the state's law that restricts bathroom and locker-room usage for transgender people.

Even before Friday's developments, the topic was generating controversy in the Peach State. Last month, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed banned all city employees from traveling to North Carolina because of the state's controversial law.

On Thursday night, hundreds of north Georgia parents and residents held a prayer meeting at a Blue Ridge baptist church before marching over to the Fannin County school board to voice their concerns. 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.

Also on Thursday, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston -- one of the state's most influential politicians who also happens to represent Blue Ridge -- sent a letter to U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue. He argued that the federal government is overreaching its authority by threatening to withhold federal funding for schools that don't provide for transgender bathrooms.

• Read Ralston's letter here.

On Friday, the city of Atlanta and DeKalb County school systems issued their own statements regarding the federal government's directives:

• "Atlanta Public Schools’ current policy prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and expression. The district values the uniqueness of every student; therefore, whenever a student identifies himself or herself as being transgender, the district works with the student and family to develop a plan to ensure that they feel supported and safe.”
• "Every school and teacher in the DeKalb County School District wants a welcoming and supportive environment for students, including our transgender ones. It is our firm belief that every student is unique, and every school is unique. This issue requires us to consider the best ways to maximize each student's social development and equal opportunity. We will do so in a way that promotes a wholesome learning environment. I encourage school administrators to discuss transgender and school issues with students and their families."

Patch wants to know what you think about this issue. Should transgender bathrooms be required in Georgia's public schools? And what do you think about Friday's directives from the federal government? Are the feds overreaching, or is this a matter of equality? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.

See also:

White House Letter To Schools On Transgender Students: What To Know

Image: Patch file photo