We're sorry to say that the Department of Education hasn't been closed down yet, but its Office for Civil Rights seems to be doing something worthwhile. According to The Denver Post, the Denver Public Schools District converted the girls' second-floor restroom over winter break into an all-gender restroom, while the boys' restroom was left alone. (The story doesn't say if they installed tampon dispensers.)
BREAKING: The Department of Education will open an investigation into Denver Public Schools for “discriminating against its female students” by creating an all-gender bathroom at East High School, the agency announced Tuesday. https://t.co/aXanmt99jA
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) January 28, 2025
Jessica Seaman reports:
East, the city’s largest high school, converted a girls restroom into a bathroom for all genders over the winter break. As a result, the school has a bathroom for boys on the second floor but not for girls, according to a news release from the Education Department.
“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,” Craig Trainor, President Donald Trump’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement.
“Let me be clear: It is a new day in America, and under President Trump, OCR will not tolerate discrimination of any kind. I have directed OCR’s Denver regional office to investigate this matter fully.”
DPS defended the all-gender restroom at East, noting that it was added “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.”
Empowerment? Since when does turning a girls-only space into a "welcoming space for all" empower girls?
The return to normalcy feels damn good
— Homesteadlander (@Homesteadlander) January 28, 2025
Recommended
This is great, they forced every public building to have a transgender bathroom, and they stole the women's bathrooms for it. Insanity.
— Nitro Mom (@NitroMom2) January 28, 2025
Finally, sanity begins to settle in.
— IPSCTraveler (@ipsc_traveler) January 28, 2025
Yeah, you can't just TAKE AWAY the women's bathroom and turn it into an all-gender.
— P Brady (@dbsb3233) January 29, 2025
You can ADD an all-gender bathroom if you want (as a 3rd option), but you have to maintain both men's and women's.
Good. I’m tired of women getting scr*wed over here in Colorado.
— Julie (@Roja_Sekari) January 28, 2025
Oh wow. So everything we’ve been saying for years that was bad is finally bad? Hope every single person involved in the nonsense that has been happening the past 4 years gets what they deserve.
— Mark (@markcrorigan_) January 29, 2025
"It would have been more expensive to create a third all-gender multi-stall restroom and the school didn’t have to remove urinals from the boys' bathroom," said district spokesman Scott Pribble. It will be a lot more expensive to lose the district's $96 million in federal grant funding.
***
Join the conversation as a VIP Member