A mother of four children is suing a
Florida school district over its policy of allowing transgender
students to access the bathroom of their choice.
Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) has
had the policy in place since 2008, but the issue attracted national
headlines last week after the Obama administration issued guidelines
to public schools, colleges and universities advising them to allow
transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender
identity.
The lawsuit was filed by Wes White, a
Republican candidate for State Attorney, on behalf of Wryshona Isaac,
the mother of four children ages 8 to 15.
Isaac claims in the suit that the
policy denies her children a “safe and supportive environment”
and “deprives them the right to bodily privacy.”
“DCPS's blind adoption as its policy
of the guidance of the May 13th joint letter, is factually
and legally baseless and a blatant violation of the privacy rights of
children,” the
lawsuit states. “It is an attempt to unilaterally revoke and
deny long-established rights of bodily privacy in a manner that is
wholly inconsistent with the law, and inconsistent with the provision
of a safe, nuturing [sic], and supportive educational environment for
children during a critical juncture in their lives.”
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, who is
named in the lawsuit, defended the school district's policy.
“There is a need for parents to read
the research and see and understand that there have been no
documented instances of transgender students assaulting other
students,” Vitti said. “If an individual presents themselves as a
transgender student to enter the other restroom, that’s really more
of an issue of social-sexual disorder than anything relating to being
a transgender student.”