CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Donald Trump issued a new policy that rolls back protections for transgender students:
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“The Trump Administration’s decision to subject vulnerable children to intolerance in the name of states’ rights is disingenuous and marks a major setback in the fight for civil rights,” said Senator Durbin. “Denying transgender students access to the bathroom that matches their gender identity puts them at greater risk of bullying and harassment. With the complex challenges already facing transgender students, we should be doing more, not less, to ensure they can learn in a safe, welcoming environment.”
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits schools that receive federal funds from discriminating on the basis of a student's sex. Last May, the Obama Administration released joint guidance from the Department of Education and the Department of Justice, which clarified that the prohibition on sex discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of a student's transgender status. The Trump Administration's decision to withdraw this guidance contradicts the legal protections of Title IX and puts transgender students at risk of further discrimination.
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