Transgender student locker room debate goes to Fox News
Fox News host Megyn Kelly grilled Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 Superintendent Daniel Cates about what's next after federal officials rebuked the district for not allowing a transgender student who identifies as female unrestricted use of the girls' locker room.
"Respectfully, this is, you know, this is primetime cable. This isn't like a superintendent board meeting," Kelly said. "So we've got to get to the heart of the matter, which is: What are you gonna do to fight the ruling?"
"We stand firm on our principles that protecting student privacy is important," Cates replied. "And while we hope to to reach a settlement with the office of civil rights, we would be willing to have that due process hearing, a full hearing on this matter."
An appearance on the popular cable show further puts the district in the national spotlight after Monday's ruling from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights that the district was violating the law with its policy.
The district has said it wants to honor students' differences and has been providing a changing area for transgender students inside the locker room for the gender they identify with.
Cates told Kelly the district's policy already provides "a great deal of support for our transgendered students."
"There is resounding support among our parents to stand firm in our position to protect the privacy rights of the students in the locker rooms," he said.