On Friday morning, the Obama administration issued a "Dear Colleagues" letter to the nation's school districts spelling out what they can do to safeguard the civil rights of students at K-12 schools and colleges, based on their gender identity.
The administration argues that Title IX, which outlaws sex discrimination for any school receiving federal funding, covers gender identity.
The letter does not change any existing laws, but provides what is called "significant guidance." It explains exactly what policies the Education and Justice departments consider to be compliant with Title IX.
"There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex," Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said in a statement. "This guidance gives administrators, teachers, and parents the tools they need to protect transgender students from peer harassment and to identify and address unjust school policies."
[For more of this story, written by Anya Kamenetz, go to http://www.npr.org/sections/th...transgender-students]
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