The Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it is investigating Denver Public Schools after a Colorado high school converted a girl’s bathroom into an all-gender bathroom.
According to a letter from the Office for Civil Rights, the investigation was launched because East High School left female students with no bathroom on the second floor following the change, while male students still have access to an “exclusive” second-floor bathroom. OCR is investigating the school district for discrimination under Title IX as a result.
“The alarming report that the Denver Public Schools District denied female students a restroom comparable with their male counterparts appears to directly violate the civil rights of the District’s female students,” acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a press release.
“Let me be clear: It is a new day in America, and under President Trump, OCR will not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” he added. “I have directed OCR’s Denver regional office to investigate this matter fully.”
Under Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, schools receiving federal funding cannot discriminate on the basis of sex. The law states that recipients of said funding “may provide separate toilet, locker room, and shower facilities on the basis of sex, but such facilities provided for students of one sex shall be comparable to such facilities provided for students of the other sex.”
Scott Pribble, a spokesman for Denver Public Schools, explained the decision to convert the second-floor girl’s restroom into an all-gender restroom in a statement to Reuters.
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“This bathroom was added as the result of a student-led process that reflects our commitment to inclusivity and student voice, leadership, and empowerment, providing a welcoming space for all,” Pribble said.
He also said that the all-gender bathroom, which has stalls with 12-foot-tall privacy walls, serves all students, including those “who may feel uncomfortable in gender-specific facilities.”
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
