0120 Gender Neutral Bathroom Facilities
- Philosophy, Goals & Objectives
0120 Gender Neutral Bathroom Facilities
The Central Islip UFSD Board of Education, under the authority of Education Law Section 409-m, directs that the Superintendent of Schools and/or his/her designee provide for the designation and the appropriate signage indicating the status of all single-occupancy bathroom facilities District-wide, to be gender neutral and to be utilized by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use.
The Board of Education recognizes and supports the public policy inherent within the subject stature in seeking to accommodate constituencies which do not identify with a binary gender designation; but rather, which identify with a chosen non-binary gender identification; and further, to assure that families and those requiring physical assistances are enabled to utilize facilities that will no longer be ear-marked for use by a sole, specific gender. It is determined that gender-segregated lavatory facilities do not serve a useful purpose in accommodating the interests of those present on District premises.
It is recognized that in consideration of the comfort and safety of individuals who do not identify with the male or female gender, and those families and those requiring physical assistances necessitating mixed genders utilizing lavatory facilities that the District will be affording a greater opportunity to those who would otherwise be relegated to having to avoid the use of a designated male and female single-occupancy bathroom facilities. It is the intent of the Board of Education to afford accommodations that do respect diversity and non-binary gender selections as well as families and those requiring physical assistances in utilizing bathroom facilities in District buildings.
This policy is to be implemented no later than March 23, 2021 as such is the effective date of the subject Section-409m of the New York Education Law; the policy is being generated under the auspices of the subject statute and within the discretion of the Board of Education to manage, oversee and supervise facilities of the District.
Adoption date: March 8, 2021