ARE TRANSGENDER ACCOMODATING RESTROOMS COMING TO STARK COUNTY SCHOOLS?

The Stark County Political Report has learned that there is at least one transgender student enrolled in each of Stark County's public school districts.

For anybody who is alive and aware, it is apparent that transgender legal rights have taken a front and center place in the American political landscape.

Yesterday, the New York Times reported (LINK) in this way:

And this from a CBS News report (LINK) on Trump presidential opponent Ted Cruz:

Asked if he would let Caitlyn Jenner, the former "Keeping With the Kardashians" star, use whichever bathroom she chooses at Trump Tower, Trump said yes. "That is correct," he said.

At a rally in Frederick, Md., Cruz blasted Trump for his comments on the issue, asking if the country had gone "stark raving nuts."

On March 23, 2016 the North Carolina Legislature passed a bill (the governor signed it almost immediately) curtailing the effect of a city of Charlotte ordinance which among other things allowed citizens to either male/female designated restrooms based on how a citizen identifies him/herself currently not necessarily the gender describing the person on  the person's birth certificate.

There has been a huge uproar in the country from that sector of American society who support non-discrimination as a keystone of their political/social philosophy.

Professional artists have refused to perform, commercially enriching to North Carolinians events have been cancelled and job expansion plans have been withdrawn.

In short, North Carolina's governments stand on the issue has been very costly.

But as suggested in the opening sentence of this blog, the issue may soon be a headliner in Stark County.

The United States Department of Education has policy guidelines in place which require that students may access school bathroom on the basis of how they gender identify themselves rather than upon their biological makeup.

The guidelines exist on the basis of Title IX of the United States of America Code which prohibits schools across the USA which receive any federal funds from discriminating on the basis of gender.

Whether or not Stark County experiences the North Caroline turmoil depends upon how local administrators (i.e. Stark's 17 local school superintendents) handle a transgender student's use or demand to use either restroom facilities not in sync with their biological gender status.

Beyond the superintendents, there is the matter of Stark's Ohio General Assembly delegation which includes Republican Christina Hagan (the 50th), Republican Kirk Schuring (the 48th), Democrat Stephen Slesnick (the 49th) and Republican Scott Oelslager (the 29th Ohio Senate District).

Hagan and Schuring are up for re-election this year.

Will one of them (the SCPR thinks that 50th Ohio House Representative Hagan to be the most likely to want to act) react with North Carolina like proposed legislation should a local superintendent/board of education allow in the words of Donald Trump "use [of] the bathroom they want."

Or will one of the superintendents or a district's board of education  prohibit such use and thereby invite federal litigation .which was won by a Virginia student just days ago in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (LINK, one step below the United States Supreme Court).

Either way, this issue could disrupt the Stark County political scene in certain elections.

Most likely Stark's Ohio House elections this year and perhaps board of education elections next year.

Stay tuned on this one!