Transgender students in Philadelphia’s public schools will continue to be able to use bathrooms based on their gender identity, despite the Trump administration’s decision to lift the transgender bathroom guidance.
"The School District of Philadelphia remains a safe and welcoming place of inclusion for all our students,” School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. William Hite wrote in a statement. “Every student deserves to know their rights will be recognized and upheld at school. This announcement will not change any school district policy or city law that protects our students."
On Wednesday the Trump administration ended federal protections for transgender students that instructed schools to allow them to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identities. The administration came down on the side of states' rights, lifting federal guidelines that had been issued by the Obama administration and characterized by Republicans as a legal overreach.
The Obama administration implemented the policy in an effort to prevent discrimination, citing federal Title IX laws. While not bound by law, the Obama administration said that schools that didn’t comply could lose federal funding.
Without the Obama directive, it will be up to states and school districts to interpret federal anti-discrimination law and determine whether students should have access to restrooms in accordance with their expressed gender identity and not just their biological sex.
Last June the Philadelphia School Reform Commission aligned with Obama’s directive and guidance to districts and established a policy allowing students to use bathrooms based on their gender identity.
“Pennsylvania is an inclusive commonwealth,” said Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. “I want Pennsylvania to be a place where everyone feels welcome.”
