‘There will not be boys in the girls' bathroom,' Osceola school leader says

An Osceola County School Board member is taking a stance on the country's fight over transgendered people and their right to use the bathroom they see fit.

He said at a meeting Tuesday, "There will not be boys in the girls' bathroom."

The stance goes against the directive President Obama issued to public schools last week.

The issue was not on the school board agenda Tuesday night and there was no vote, or new policy put into place, however, this is the first time Osceola County school leaders have spoken on the issue since the president asked schools to allow transgender restrooms.

The controversy over transgender bathrooms was the first topic in the Osceola County school district boardroom.

“Now, I have two daughters. One of them will be in middle school next year. There will not be boys in the girls’ bathroom,” said board member Ricky Booth. “I want to assure all of you, that’s not happening in Osceola County.”

Booth’s statement was greeted with applause from the crowd.

He said the district will not waver from its existing policy of working with transgender students on a case-by-case basis.

“We're going to handle each individual case as we do already, with compassion and in a reasonable manner,” Booth said.

Last Friday, President Obama ordered all public schools to allow students to use a bathroom consistent with their chosen gender identity.

Brevard and Orange county schools said the directive will not affect current district policies.

Both allow transgender students access to the same individual bathrooms used by special-needs students.

Volusia County school leaders said they will work with transgender students to accommodate their privacy.

In Marion County, policy states students must use the bathroom that matches their sex at birth.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a Title 9 complaint last week, claiming that rule violates federal anti-discrimination law.

In Duval County, a parent is filing a lawsuit against the school district over its bathroom policies.

It’s the first lawsuit from a parent on the issue in Florida.

Some experts say, the bathroom fight is bound to land in front of the Supreme Court

Cox Media Group