Gov. Little signs transgender bathroom bill

BOISE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —In a quiet move, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a bill last Thursday that prohibits transgender students from using public school bathrooms designated for biological boys and biological girls,

Senate Bill 1100, which takes effect July 1st, requires that public schools maintain separate bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, dressing areas, and overnight accommodations for biological boys and biological girls.

Additionally, the school would need to provide reasonable accommodations for any student who is unwilling or unable to use a multi-occupancy facility designated for his or her sex. A request for a reasonable accommodation would have to be in writing, and reasonable accommodation would not include access to a restroom, changing facility, or sleeping quarter that is designated for use by members of the opposite sex, while persons of the opposite sex are present or could be present.

The restrictions do not apply to single-occupancy restrooms or when the opposite biological sex needs to enter a restroom or changing room to provide medical assistance, clean the facility, or in cases of ongoing safety emergencies or natural disasters.

The bill states, “Requiring students to share restrooms and changing facilities with members of the opposite biological sex generates potential embarrassment, shame, and psychological injury to students, as well as increasing the likelihood of sexual assault, molestation, rape, voyeurism, and exhibitionism.”

However, in past public hearings relating to the bill, Amy Dundon, of the ACLU of Idaho said she and her supporters feel the legislation is unneeded because there are no documented instances of transgender youth in Idaho harming other students when they enter a facility for the sex they identify with.

Under the law, students can take legal action against the schools that failed to “take reasonable steps” to prevent a person of the opposite sex from using a facility designated for the biological sex.

Students who are successful in their private lawsuits will receive $5,000 from the public school systems for each instance

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