Missouri is working through legislation that allows only same-sex individuals in the rooms. With concern that parents are not notified when their child thinks he wants to change his sex, Attorney General Bailey believes that the parents need to be involved in the decision-making. As a pro-family advocate, he will support his decision throughout the state.
Meanwhile, two members of the Wentzville, Missouri school board blew the whistle on the school’s transgender bathroom policy, leading to public backlash and a lawsuit. This led to the Wentzville Board of Education voting 5-2 to formally designate multi-user bathrooms as same-sex facilities.
As defined in the new policy, sex is determined by the individual’s reproductive biology at birth and the individual’s genome. It is required that community restrooms be labeled either male or female, although students are also able to use single-user facilities.
Leading Up
A signed affidavit filed by Olson and fellow board member Renee Henke claims that school board members discussed the district’s bathroom policy behind closed doors. Superintendent Danielle Tormala told the board she wasn’t interested in discussing the policy formally because it would “make us a lightning rod for lawsuits.” However, litigation occurred nonetheless when AG Bailey filed a lawsuit against the board for alleged violations of the Open Meetings Law and violated parents’ rights.
On Jan. 5, the Circuit Court denied Wentzville’s request to dismiss the suit.
After the school board approved the policy, bathrooms are now designated as spaces for same-sex relationships. School board member Jennifer Olson proposed the new policy, citing violations of the state’s open meetings law by the Wentzville board. While parents are happy with this decision, not all board members are. Julie Scott allegedly said last year that the matter
isn’t the parents’ damn business [1].
Superintendent Tormala also objected, saying they could be sued next for discrimination. Nonetheless, AG Bailey is satisfied with their decision.
“This is a huge win for parental rights in Missouri,” @AGAndrewBailey told The Lion.https://t.co/PvaM5Gdpdf
— The Heartlander (@HeartlanderNews) January 19, 2024
Alongside that, it proves that parents want to be involved in the decisions their children make.
Notes:
- ^ {Missouri school district reverses transgender bathroom policy after community backlash – The Heartlander} (go back ↩)
