Georgia

School restroom gender controversy causing uproar in Fannin County

FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. — Some members of the Fannin County community are outraged over what they say is the case of a transgender student using a school restroom that reflects a different sex than the child's birth sex.

Parent Angel Chancey is threatening to take her kids out of school because of it.

"We're going to do everything we can to stop this, and if not, then us moms are going to come home and teach our kids like it used to be,” said Chancey.

Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus sat down with Superintendent Mark Henson Monday afternoon.

He said, “There's no easy answers in this at all."

Klaus asked Henson about the restroom policy, involving transgender students. He said federal law protects these kids from being identified at all.

"We can't go into detail whether we do or don't have a transgender student,” said Henson.

But he did explain the school restroom rules. “That we have to allow transgender student to pick the restroom that they identify with, gender-wise."

Henson says federal guidelines dictate that policy, too.

School resource officer Anthony Walden organized a group of parents and concerned residents to come together in opposition to the policy Monday evening in downtown Blue Ridge. He says their values are being trampled.

"We've got great teachers. We've got great administrators, but their hands are being forced,” Walden told Klaus.

Henson says if a child identifies as transgender, there will be a parent meeting between the child and principal to discuss this.

"We want to make sure this is something the child truly identifies with and it's not a fad or it's not going to be a 10th-grade guy wanting to look in the girl's restroom," said Henson. He says the No. 1 priority is keeping all kids safe.
 
There is a school board meeting Thursday night at 6. Chancey says she and other community members opposing the policy will speak out during the public comment section.