Denver Public Schools has turned a second single-gender restroom at East High School into a gender-neutral space after receiving criticism for its first gender-neutral bathroom conversion this past January.
The Trump administration’s Office for Civil Rights previously found the district had discriminated against female students by turning a girls’ restroom into a gender-neutral bathroom earlier this year.
“The alarming report that the Denver Public Schools District denied female students a restroom comparable with their male counterparts appears to directly violate the civil rights of the District’s female students,” said Craig Trainor, who at the time was the acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
Denver Public Schools told FOX31 in January that the bathroom was converted “as the result of a student-led process that reflects our commitment to inclusivity and student voice, leadership, and empowerment, providing a welcoming space for all.”
Denver Public Schools also explained that the “all gender lavatory has stalls that are designed for privacy, with 12-foot-tall partitions to ensure the comfort and security of all students who elect to use them. This restroom serves all students, including those who may feel uncomfortable in gender-specific facilities and aligns with our values of supporting every student.” Faculty would monitor the new restroom as well.
This school year, Denver Public Schools has doubled down and converted a boys’ restroom to a gender-neutral restroom.
“In response to the first restroom change at East High School in Denver Public Schools from gender-specific to all-gender this past January, the Office for Civil Rights initiated a process to investigate the District’s compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments,” Denver Public Schools told National Review in a statement. “The addition of a second all-gender restroom on the same floor as the first restroom was suggested and paid for by the District to help address the notion of any unfairness or lack of parity across facilities.”
The school’s decision to convert the first restroom in January ignited an investigation from the Trump administration into the school.
According to the Office of Civil Rights, taking away the girls’ bathroom was a violation of Title IX, and because the school receives federal funding, it “may provide separate toilet, locker room, and shower facilities on the basis of sex, but such facilities provided for students of one sex shall be comparable to such facilities provided for students of the other sex.”
Denver Public Schools told National Review that “Students will continue to have access to gender-specific restrooms as well as existing single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms throughout the school.”
Office of Civil Rights did not respond to requests for comment from National Review.