The Philadelphia School District is moving to defy President Donald Trump’s Title IX rules banning transgender athletes from playing in girls’ sports.
The district’s decision comes despite the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Board of Directors’ vote to rewrite state-wide rules to comply with the president’s orders on the issue, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The PIAA maintains that the president’s Title IX orders bind all Pennsylvania schools that receive federal funds and has said that the board is “following the order” to ban males from competing in female sports.
However, the Philly school district refuses to obey the state and the federal rules changes.
PSD spokesperson Christina Clark said on Tuesday that the district will continue to “ensure safety, equity and justice for all students regardless of gender identity or gender expression” of its students and staff.
“The district will continue to align its practices to support its LGBTQ++ students in accordance with Board Policy 252 for transgender and gender nonconforming students,” the district’s statement added.
The district had first updated its rules to address transgender athletes in 2016, which, at the time, was one of the most radical policies in the country.
The policy is so radical that it enshrines the right of teachers to hide a student’s “gender identity” from parents.
The policy states that school staffers are prohibited from discussing children’s school lives with parents and adds, “transgender and gender nonconforming students shall be permitted to participate in physical education classes and intramural sports in a manner consistent with their gender identity. Participation in competitive athletic activities and contact sports will be resolved on a case-by-case basis.”
The policy also warns teachers and staffers from “gendered practices” and requires them to use a student’s fake “pronoun.”
The Inquirer notes that Philly schools have received $619.3 million in federal education grants. The district’s decision to defy federal rules threatens that funding.
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