INDIANAPOLIS -- The ACLU of Indiana says it will invest resources into educating Hoosiers about transgender people following a decision Wednesday by the Trump administration to roll back Obama-era guidance on transgender bathroom use in public schools.
On Thursday, a day after that decision was announced, the ACLU of Indiana held a press conference lambasting the decision as "irresponsible," saying it will put thousands of transgender students at risk.
"I join my transgender family, friends and allies today in expressing deep disappointment that the Trump Administration rescinded important guidance that provides equal treatment, safety and dignity to thousands of transgender children across the country," said Kit Malone, the transgender education and advocacy consultant for the ACLU of Indiana. "We know that trans children in public schools face incredible rates of harassment and discrimination. Up to 75% of trans children report feeling unsafe in schools."
The Trump administration's decision undoes guidance issued last may in a "Dear Colleague" letter from the departments of Education and Justice. The letter advised schools across the country that they should interpret the 1972 Title IX Amendment as protecting students on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, including transgender status.
MORE | Trump administration officially rolls back transgender bathroom guidance
Conservative critics of the letter characterized it as federal overreach. Eleven states, including Texas, Arizona and Wisconsin, sued the Obama administration over the directive, arguing that the administration had "conspired to turn workplace and educational settings across the country into laboratories for a massive social experiment."
MORE | 11 states sue over Obama's school transgender directive
The new letter issued Wednesday by the White House says there must be "due regard" for states' roles in deciding education policy.
"As President Trump has clearly stated, he believes policy regarding transgender bathrooms should be decided at the state level," the White House said in a statement. "The joint decision made today by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education returning power to the states paves the way for an open and inclusive process to take place at the local level with input from parents, students, teachers and administrators."
Indianapolis Public Schools released its own letter Thursday afternoon saying it would continue ensuring "every student has a welcoming place to attend school:"
"IPS believes strongly that students learn best in schools that are safe, nurturing and respectful environments. In accordance with our policy on discrimination, an IPS student may not, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other unlawful basis, be limited in the enjoyment of any right, privilege, advantage, or opportunity, including courses, extracurricular activities, benefits, and facilities. We have not yet received written guidance from the US Dept. of Education on the reversal of legislation impacting transgender students. IPS will continue to work with our staff, students and families as circumstances arise to ensure that every student has a welcoming place to attend school and a positive environment in which to learn. "
Malone said Thursday in the wake of the Trump administration's letter that the ACLU plans to invest resources to educate Hoosiers about "trans people and the challenges they face."
"We will continue this work so that everyone can see that trans children are no threat to anyone," Malone said. "We should be fighting to protect our nation's children, instead of turning our backs on them."
