The Trump Department of Education’s civil rights office has dismissed 15 of 19 complaints made by transgender students within the past year, says a report by Politico.
Between January 20, 2017 and February 21, 2018, in addition to the 15 cases that were dismissed, the education department ‘s civil rights office also has three cases under evaluation, and has resolved one, states the report following a filing under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
“No complaints are actively under investigation,” the report adds.
The report comes following another report by BuzzFeed News in February which indicated the Trump education department would not be investigating complaints by transgender students who are barred from entering the bathrooms and locker rooms designated for the opposite biological sex.
Liz Hill, a spokesperson for the department, reportedly agreed with a statement that the department holds the position that restroom complaints from transgender students are not covered by the federal Title IX civil rights law.
“Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, not gender identity,” Hill reportedly said, adding the department may investigate some types of transgender complaints, but not those related to bathroom use.
“Where students, including transgender students, are penalized or harassed for failing to conform to sex-based stereotypes, that is sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX,” Hill reportedly said. “In the case of bathrooms, however, long-standing regulations provide that separating facilities on the basis of sex is not a form of discrimination prohibited by Title IX.”
In January 2017, the Trump administration revoked former President Barack Obama’s directive that required school officials to affirm the claims of children and teens who say they identify with the gender of the opposite sex. The policy forced children in public schools across the country to share bathrooms and other private spaces with students of the opposite sex.
In 2016, a federal judge in Texas blocked the Obama-era directive and applied the ruling nationwide.
Polls have shown the Obama-era policy has had the support of less than 25 percent of Americans.
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