In a unanimous vote, the Kansas State Board of Education decided to craft a response to a May letter from the U.S. Department of Education outlining bathroom use for transgender students.
In a presentation, the board learned what Title IX requirements are and that the state is meeting them. The federal government just started tracking Title IX complaints based on gender identity in October 2015. There has been one complaint since and it was closed without an investigation.
"I think we're making a mountain out of a tiny molehill because certainly here in Kansas we've never had a problem. Districts have handled it so wonderfully, plus it's such a small minority of our population and quite frankly the majority of them, all of them in my opinion, probably want to keep it very private," said Janet Waugh, a board member who represents Kansas City, Kansas.
It's important to note that once a student determines their gender identity, it will be set for their academic career. Less than 1 percent of adults identify as transgender.
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Dia Wall can be reached at dia.wall@kshb.com.
