The Mississippi Board of Education will follow the state’s wishes regarding policies for transgender students. After a closed-door meeting lasting two and a half hours at the Clinton board’s Clinton offices, unanimous approval was reached. The U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Education published guidelines earlier this month that required them to allow students to use locker rooms and restrooms “consistently with their gender identity.” Governor Phil Bryant and other legislators reacted negatively to the guidelines and called on Carey Wright, state education chief, to resist the federal government. Wright initially stated that she would follow federal guidelines, but then changed her mind and said that the board of education should take the final decision. John Kelly, the chairman of the board, said that Tuesday’s decision wasn’t the result of political pressure. “This board is independent by state statute. Kelly stated that they did what was right for schoolchildren. After a briefing on Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational facilities and programs, the board entered executive session. The two-hour-long break was intense with some angry moments when parents opposed to public accommodations for transgender persons yelled at reporters. Unidentified man complained that transgender bathrooms were being promoted by people who favor a “politically correct agenda.” Rita Anderson, another female present at the hearing, stated that she thinks policies that allow transgender students access to facilities that match their gender identity could lead to bullying. She said that bullying transgender students would be reduced if everyone is taught the biblical principle “love thy neighbor”. Anderson stated that if children are raised in families and homes with the right values, they won’t be bullied. Kelly, the chairman of the board, stated that each school district should have its own guidelines regarding transgender students. To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to the Spring Member Drive today. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. To ensure that our work is aligned with the priorities and needs of Mississippians, we are listening to you. Click the button below to let us know what you think. Republish this Story You can freely republish our articles online or in print under a Creative Commons licence. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. R.L. Mississippi Today, Nave
May 24, 2016, Ryan L. Nave was born in University City, Mo. and served as Mississippi Today’s editorin-chief between May 2018 and April 2020. Ryan started his career at Mississippi Today in February 2016, as an original member on the editorial team. He was appointed news editor in August 2016. Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Missouri-Columbia. He has previously worked at Illinois Times and as the Jackson Free Press news editor. Their cushy jobs are the basis of their decision. It is a good idea to let them develop their own policies, as recommended in the guidelines. So long as they adhere to civil rights law. It’s not difficult.