Clay County School board voting on new bathroom policy

Sep 10, 2023

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Clay County School Board passed a policy requiring students to use the bathroom of their gender at birth.

It bans transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

The policy would also includes locker and dressing rooms.

The board voted during Thursday's meeting, causing mixed reactions from many.

"Thank you each and every one of you on the school board on keeping the genders to each gender in the restrooms. I think that's very important," Middleberg resident, Summer Grace said.

"Forcing transgender youth to use the public facility aligned with their sex assigned at birth is detrimental to them," William Wickim argued.

The board says the safety of all students is most important but accommodations will be made for those who need it.

"It burns that we would treat our fellow citizens like this in Clay County because everywhere I’ve gone has had a spirit of unity here," Middleburg High School graduate, Madison Hilt, said.

Hilt graduated from high school in 2014 and transitioned a couple years ago.

She says she can't imagine going to school that banned her from using the bathroom that lines up with her gender.

Hilt said if approved, the policy would dehumanize the transgender community.

"Our community doesn't want to come in and invade anyone's sanctity. Our community just wants to be seen the same way that anybody else is we want to be able to go in use the restroom and leave in peace. I promise you we are more afraid of this than anyone else in the community is," Hilt said.

A spokesperson for Clay County Schools said the policy is something the district has always practiced.

The policy will fall in line with recently passed state and federal law.

The district provided the following statement to First Coast News:

"Clay County District Schools’ current procedure is for students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their assigned sex at birth. For students who need accommodations, the school leadership works directly with the parents and the student."

Violating the policy could result in school detention or even law enforcement consultation. It has similar penalties to stealing something worth more than $300. Board member Mary Bolla expressed her disagreement with the punishment.

"It concerns me deeply that we are going to push many of our vulnerable students even deeper into that vulnerability," Bolla said during Thursday's meeting.

"They’re treating it like it's a grave offense and like you’re a bad person and the other students, like they did with the sports bans, will see that targeting and will lash out and bullying will go up just as it has with all these other policies," Hilt said.

Students or parents requesting accommodations to the policy for any reason must get approval from school administration. Once approval is made, the student can use any gender-neutral or single stall accommodation available.

"Any singular bathroom be listed as literally just that, restroom, no male, no female, if it is a single use bathroom please make certain the signage in everyone of our buildings be changed," Bolla said.

The board says there is currently private gender-neutral accommodations available to students and staff in all Clay County schools.