An emerging issue for schools is how to accommodate different populations of students. One of the growing populations that have received consideration are transgender students and accommodating for them. According to, Genny Beemyn, the director of the University of Massachusetts, along with developing gender-neutral restrooms, some colleges, such as American University, Purdue University, University of Nebraska and Virginia Tech have implemented or are in the process of implementing policies. These policies requiring that all extensively renovated and newly constructed buildings include at least one gender-neutral bathroom. The question arises though, do high schools have the ability that some of these institutions have?

Based on the merit of law, high schools technically do have to provide for these rising accommodations.  In a 2014 memo citing the Title IX, the Department of Education said that at school, “All students, including transgender students and students who do not conform to sex stereotypes, are protected from sex-based discrimination under Title IX. ” Title IX was a law passed in 1972 that states, “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance”

Even though this law is in effect, schools are lacking when it comes to the LGBT community. The most that traditional high schools have done is nothing, while there  have been a few outliers that have actually pass a separate policy. Cherry Hill High School,  Pascack Valley High School, and Montclair High School are some of the few examples where high schools were able to get a policy for either gender neutral bathrooms or bathrooms to their corresponding gender identity.  Do we even have the demand to getting new bathrooms through Title IX?

Actually, as of right now, this school has one gender neutral bathroom which is located in the administration building. Is there room or funds that can be allocated to getting new bathrooms? Despite the possible needs for change or funds, Principal Dan Serrano points out that, “Something like that actually is not under my powers to do. To add on or to change a building physically [to get a gender neutral bathroom] you have to go through the district to get that approved.” So to actually get something like this done, the district would be the deciding factor.

The question in the end is should the district build a new gender neutral bathroom?  As teacher Chris Humphrey points out, “For a student to go from, lets say the gym, all the way to the admin building just to go to a bathroom seems a little ridiculous”.