A demonstrator holds a trans flag during a rally in support of trans youth at Seattle Children’s hospital, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order that denies federal funding for pediatric gender-affirming care, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. February 8, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder
(New York, NY) – New York’s top education official is batting down transgender policies enacted by two Long Island school districts. The policies at Massapequa and Locust Valley Central School Districts banning transgender students from bathrooms and locker rooms not aligned with the gender on their birth certificates are being called “discriminatory and illegal”. This is the latest chapter in a lengthy court battle in a deep blue state where Democrats have control of both state legislative bodies and the governorship. The State Education Commissioner, Betty A. Rosa, struck down the policies after parents of a trans student in Massapequa claimed the new regulations caused stress, anxiety and even thoughts of suicide.
The case was filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union, claiming the policies violated state laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity. No official response from the two schools after Rosa ordered them to allow students to use the bathrooms “most closely aligned with their gender identity.” The White House has previously threatened to withhold federal funds over policies regarding bathroom and sport participation rules.
