‘Contradiction’: KY lawmaker asks Fayette schools for bathroom gender clarity

Fayette County Public Schools officials are sending “conflicting reports and lack of clarity” about whether bathrooms in a new middle school would be gender neutral or designated exclusively for boys and girls, a Kentucky lawmaker said Monday.

“Fayette County Public Schools needs to be open and completely honest with the residents of Fayette County and the parents of the students within their system,” said Rep. Matt Lockett, a Nicholasville Republican.

“The statements made by (school district) officials have clearly indicated the removal of gender-specific restrooms in Britton Middle School. However, now that the broader public has been made aware of these efforts, they want us to believe a narrative that is a complete reversal from everything they have said since announcing the new school and that of what is in their own facilities plan.”

Fayette school officials issued a new statement Monday night.

“In response to Rep. Lockett’s recent statements regarding the proposed bathroom designs at Fayette County Public Schools newest middle school, Mary E. Britton, FCPS is in alignment with his expressed desire to provide students with a traditional boys and girls restroom,” said district spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith. “Signage will clearly label each space as serving either boys or girls. FCPS will also have family and/or gender-neutral restrooms available in the building, similar to those found in other public buildings in the Commonwealth, for anyone to use. We are looking forward to hosting Representative Lockett for a tour of Mary E. Britton in the spring.”

Plans for the bathrooms have a new configuration and 2023 facility programming guidelines said non-binary or inclusive toilet design that is not gender specific should be discussed as an alternative to traditional designs. Multiple unisex restrooms are an acceptable alternative to providing separate facilities, the district documents say.

Last week, district officials told the Herald-Leader that the restrooms would be gender specific -- designated for boys and for girls.

The district followed up with a statement that said, in part, “”Our current construction projects, including Mary E. Britton Middle School, will include individual restrooms specifically designed to address privacy, security, and supervision concerns raised by our students, families, and safety experts.

“Unfortunately, a false narrative has circulated, so it is important to clarify that FCPS is not seeking to eliminate gender-specific bathroom facilities. Instead, we are adding options that provide a safer and more secure environment for all students, while maintaining traditional gender-separated facilities where appropriate.”

The district added: “These changes are a proactive response to issues like vandalism, bullying, and vaping – challenges that have unfortunately increased in school bathrooms across the Commonwealth in recent years – ensuring that all students feel safe and supported within our schools.”

The plan calls for a slightly different design from previous school bathrooms. Single-person restrooms will be floor-to-ceiling, the district said, and doors will automatically shut when they’re occupied. Dia Davidson-Smith, spokesperson for the district, said the facilities would remain separated by gender.

Kentucky lawmakers on the General Assembly’s Interim Education Committee in Frankfort last week questioned Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins about whether Mary E. Britton Middle School in Lexington’s Hamburg area would be gender-neutral rather than gender-specific.

School bathrooms have become a hot-button issue for Republican lawmakers across the country in recent years as districts grapple with whether to install new policies that cater to transgender students.

“ Parents in Fayette County have contacted the school district and elected officials with their concerns about this model. However, many have voiced frustration about the conflicting reports and lack of clarity from FCPS officials,” Lockett said Monday.

“Since day one of this project, parents in Fayette County have been concerned about the proposed bathroom model,” Lockett added. “There has been more confusion and contradiction each time FCPS has released a statement. The public deserves to know how many of these restrooms will be gender-specific or gender-neutral and where the district believes gender-specific restrooms are ‘appropriate.’

“The intent of the school district is clear,” he added. “They want to implement gender-neutral restrooms despite the safety and privacy concerns expressed by parents and community members. Just because the school district does not use the term ‘gender-neutral’ to describe the restrooms does not mean they are anything but that. These are restrooms where middle-school aged boys and girls will be side by side, and sharing the same facilities.”

“The school district should respect the parents of Fayette County enough to be open and honest about their actions and clearly answer the questions asked,” Lockett’s statement on Monday said.

This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 1:08 PM.