Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper says Habersham County Schools “will continue to expect students to use the restroom facilities designated for their biological sex.”
Cooper made his remarks in a statement released to Now Habersham in response to our question about where the local school system stands on the issue of transgender restrooms. That issue rose to the forefront Friday when the Obama Administration issued a directive through the U.S. Justice Department and Department of Education instructing all public schools to allow students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity or face the loss of federal funds and potential lawsuits.
In response to Now Habersham’s inquiry, Cooper released the following statement:
“On May 13th, our school system received a joint letter from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice. This letter offers guidance to school systems on the issue of transgender rights. It is my understanding that this letter was sent to all school systems in the United States. It is also my understanding that this letter serves only as guidance and does not carry with it the force of law. In Habersham County, we have not looked to the federal government for guidance on this issue, and our school system has not experienced any of the issues related to the letter. Since this letter does not include the force of law, this issue will likely be resolved in Congress, the court system or through some other means. In the meantime, school systems must act in the interest of student safety as they handle this issue. This “Dear Colleague Letter” sent from federal agencies seems to not only limit a school system’s ability to ensure the safety of all students, but it also infringes upon a school system’s ability to determine what policies and procedures are best for its students. Due to the tremendous responsibilities placed on school system leaders in the area of student safety, it is reasonable to believe that this issue should be handled at the local level. Governor Nathan Deal is on record saying that Georgia’s Constitution and state laws require that decisions on this issue be made at the local level. I fully agree with the Governor. We believe that our school leaders can use fairness and common sense to address the needs of all students. In the Habersham County School System, student safety is our top priority, and we do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. I am aware that this letter has raised concerns among parents both here in Habersham County and across the nation. The parent concerns expressed center around the safety of children. I want to assure our parents that we understand their concerns and that the safety of their children will remain our top priority. Our schools will continue to expect students to use the restroom facilities designated for their biological sex. State Representative Terry Rogers has reached out to me regarding the letter and he has made it clear that he supports the Governor’s position and that he supports our local effort to keep our students safe. I commend our Governor for recently promising to “protect the interests of Georgia’s children from this abuse of federal executive authority”. As superintendent, I have a duty and responsibility to do the same for our children here in Habersham County.
Supporters of transgender restrooms say it’s an issue of civil rights. Opponents say it’s about public safety. Two lawsuits are currently pending in North Carolina federal court over that state’s controversial HB2 law restricting transgender restroom rights.
READ MORE: Gov. Deal Calls Transgender School Mandate “Federal Overreach”
