State assembly Representative Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) unveiled a bill during Thursday night’s Common Sense Citizens meeting at the West Bend Moose Lodge.
“The measure will provide policy affecting public schools in Wisconsin relating to students who may identify as a different gender and accommodations for them,” he said.
The transgender issue, according to Kremer, is going to be on the forefront in the next several years.
Kremer’s interest was heightened following an issue at Kewaskum High School where a student identified as a different gender.
“My understanding was she was walking into the boys bathroom,” said Kremer. “The school district came up with a policy that said the person could use the faculty restroom but could not use the opposite gender restroom.”
School districts across the state, said Kremer, are coming up with their own policy and every district, right now, is on its own.
Kremer relayed the story about a school district in south central Wisconsin involving a seventh grader that has come before the School Board with a similar situation to Kewaskum. “The district doesn’t know what to do and there are lawyers lined up,” said Kremer. “Not for the district but the student.”
Kremer said the bill will set policy statewide for school districts so if there is some sort of litigation in the future the Department of Justice will have to defend it and it won’t be up to the school districts to take it on their own.
“The bill will say, if you’re born a boy you will use the boy’s bathroom and locker room. If you’re born a girl you will use the girl’s facilities and if you identify as something else the school district will provide reasonable accommodations, which is similar to what Kewaskum did,” he said. “This bill will protect school districts and it will provide protection for all students for their dignity and privacy.”
Kremer predicts the biggest challenge will be possible discrimination charges by students that identify by a different gender.